Udhampur Bus Accident: 16 Dead After Bus Falls Into Gorge in J&K; PM Announces Ex Gratia of ₹2 Lakh

At least 16 people were killed and several others injured on Monday morning after a passenger bus skidded off a mountain road and plunged into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district, in one of the deadliest road accidents the region has seen this year. The death toll is feared to rise as a number of the injured are in critical condition and rescue operations are still ongoing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each person who lost their life, and ₹50,000 for each of the injured.

What Happened

The accident occurred at approximately 10 AM when the bus, travelling from Ramnagar to Udhampur, lost control while negotiating a blind curve on the mountain road. The vehicle reportedly turned turtle before plunging down the hillside into a gorge below. The exact stretch of road where the accident occurred has not been officially named at the time of writing, but the Ramnagar to Udhampur route passes through the kind of narrow, winding mountain terrain that has been the site of multiple fatal accidents in Jammu and Kashmir over the years.

The cause of the accident — whether a mechanical failure, driver error, road condition, or a combination of factors — is under investigation. Blind curves on narrow mountain roads in the Udhampur district are a persistent road safety concern, particularly for overloaded or poorly maintained passenger buses plying intercity routes.

Rescue Operations Underway

A major rescue operation was launched immediately following the accident, with teams from the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and local residents working together to evacuate the injured from the gorge and transport them to medical facilities. The Army’s involvement in the rescue effort reflects both the proximity of military installations in the region and the scale of the operation required to access a bus that has fallen into a gorge on a mountain road.

The number of passengers on board at the time of the accident has not been officially confirmed, but the fatality count of 16 with several critically injured suggests the bus was carrying a significant number of passengers on what would have been a routine morning intercity service.

PM Modi’s Condolences and Ex Gratia Announcement

Prime Minister Modi said he was pained to hear about the loss of lives and extended heartfelt condolences to the families of those who had lost their loved ones. “An ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives in the tragic mishap. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” the Prime Minister said, adding that he was praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Pained to hear about the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir. I extend my heartfelt condolences to those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.

An ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to…

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 20, 2026

The PMNRF ex gratia announcement activates a standard government response mechanism for major accident tragedies and ensures immediate financial relief reaches affected families without waiting for insurance or compensation processes to complete.

Udhampur’s Road Safety Record

The Udhampur district and the broader Jammu division have seen repeated fatal road accidents on mountain highways over the years, with the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and connecting district roads among the most accident-prone stretches in the country due to a combination of steep gradients, narrow carriageways, blind curves, seasonal road deterioration and heavy traffic from goods vehicles and passenger buses alike.

The death toll from this single accident — 16 confirmed fatalities with more feared — places it among the most serious individual road accidents in the region in recent memory. The injured are being treated at hospitals in Udhampur and, in critical cases, likely transferred to Jammu for specialised care.

Business Upturn will update this report as the final casualty figures and further details of the rescue operation become available.

Disclaimer: This article is based on published reports and official statements. Information is developing and subject to change.