NH accidents devour around 1300 lives in Chenab valley, Pir Panchal

Jammu, Nov 15: Out of 4287 casualties in road accidents in J&K in the last five years, around 1300 lives were lost in the mishaps that occurred on and along National Highway in Chenab valley and Pir Panchal sub-regions of Jammu division.

As per official statistics quoted in an RTI reply, during the last five years up to March, 2023, 1200 people were killed and 8000 were injured in 6000 accidents which occurred only in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Udhampur districts.

Rajouri-Poonch highway, though, has witnessed lesser number of major accidents as compared to Srinagar Jammu National Highway yet minor accidents claiming one or two lives has almost been a routine affair.

Overall, as per official statistics, J&K witnessed 984 accident fatalities in 2018; 996 in 2019; 728 in 2020; 774 in 2021 and 805 in 2022. These figures also comprised casualties in accidents that occurred on Srinagar Jammu National Highway and Rajouri-Poonch Highway.

The number quoted for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 also included the number of accidents that took place on and along Ladakh Highway.

In the past five years, Pir Panjal and Chenab valley sub-regions witnessed some major accidents devouring many lives.

On September 14, 2022, eleven lives were lost in the Poonch accident; four people were killed in the Thannamandi, Rajouri accident on June 27, 2023.

Seven workers of Pakul Dul hydel power project were killed and three others were injured when the vehicle they were travelling in, fell into a deep gorge in Kishtwar on May 24, 2023.On October 28, 2021, 11 persons were killed in Batote-Kishtwar highway accident in Doda; 7 killed in accident on Thathri-Gandoh road in Doda on April 12, 2021 and 6 were killed in accident at Raggi Nallah on Batote-Kishtwar National Highway in Doda on February 15, 2021.

21 lives were lost on October 6, 2018 in Ramban district in an accident on Srinagar Jammu National Highway while 17 people were killed in Kishtwar accident on September 14, 2018.