Driver injured as vehicle carrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims hits divider

Udhampur, July 09: A vehicle that was part of the Amarnath Yatra convoy met with an accident early Wednesday morning in the Narsoo area of Chenani in Udhampur district, leaving the driver injured, while four other pilgrims escaped unhurt.

Officials said that the incident occurred at around 6:17 AM when a Pahalgam-bound Yatra convoy’s tail vehicle bearing registration number HR 40H 6485 veered off and struck a road divider.

The injured driver has been identified as Shashikant, son of Prem Chand, a resident of Karnal, Haryana. He sustained a head injury and was immediately shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital Udhampur for treatment, they said.

The four accompanying pilgrims are safe, officials said. Dhoni Kumar accompanied the injured driver to the hospital as an attendant, they added.

Preliminary reports suggest that the accident occurred after the driver fell asleep while driving.

Further investigation is underway. (JKNS)