21 people died, 29 injured in Udhampur bus accident, compensation announced to family members

President-Prime Minister expressed grief, Lieutenant Governor-CM assured immediate assistance – announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50 thousand for the injured.

Jammu. A passenger bus rolled down a hill on Monday in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir. 21 people died in this accident while 29 others were injured. First the bus crushed an auto-rickshaw and then overturned from the road and fell into a ditch. Officials said the occupants of the auto-rickshaw suffered injuries but survived.

An Army convoy passing through the hills led the rescue operation after the driver of the private bus lost control at a dangerous turn near Kagorta village located on the hills in Ramnagar area around 10 am.

The bus was carrying 50 passengers, most of whom were traveling from Ramnagar to Udhampur and returning to their daily work. The rescue operation proved to be extremely challenging as the vehicle was completely damaged and its upper part was almost completely broken.

President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the deaths in the accident. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured all possible assistance to the families of the dead and injured. He also directed the concerned authorities to provide immediate relief and necessary assistance to the affected people.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udhampur-Reasi Range, Shiv Kumar Sharma told reporters at the spot that a bus going from Ramnagar to Udhampur lost control on the hilly road, fell down the slope and overturned on the road, crushing an auto-rickshaw. 15 passengers were found dead on the spot while 4 others died later in the hospital.

Two more seriously injured persons died during treatment at Udhampur District Hospital, taking the death toll to 21, officials said. Sharma said local residents provided vital assistance during the rescue operation.

Police teams including Senior Superintendent of Police, Ramnagar SHO and other officials reached the spot. Army personnel also assisted and a joint rescue operation was conducted.

The DIG said that the vehicle was later straightened with the help of a hydraulic crane. He said that this is an extremely tragic incident and we are completely connected with the families of those who lost their loved ones. Jammu and Kashmir Police is with them in this hour of grief.

Sharma said that Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and Jammu Zone Inspector General of Police Bhim Sen Tuti are monitoring the situation over phone. An army soldier, who was leading a convoy going from Udhampur to Ramnagar, said he immediately took action after seeing the civilian vehicle rolling down the hill.

The jawan said that I was leading the convoy when the accident occurred on the way. The vehicle fell from a height of approximately 100 metres. We immediately secured the area and launched rescue operation which with great difficulty saved many precious lives including men and women.

The Lieutenant Governor said in a post on X that the tragic road accident in Udhampur is heartbreaking. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. May God give them strength.

I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. Sinha said he has directed the district administration, police, State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and health department to provide all possible assistance to the affected people.

The Chief Minister expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. In a post on Twitter, the Chief Minister said the government stands strongly with the victims and their families in this hour of grief and all necessary assistance is being provided.

Former Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti also expressed deep grief over the incident. He wrote in a post on Facebook that I am extremely saddened by the Udhampur-Ramnagar bus accident. My condolences to the families of the victims and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.