Several dozens dead, injured as bus crashes into ravine in Indian Kashmir
Srinagar, India, Nov 15 (EFE).- At least 36 people died Wednesday in Indian-administered Kashmir after a bus fell into a ravine, officials said.
The accident occurred in Doda district, Jammu division, Minister of State for the Ministry of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, while confirming the casualties.
He added that those injured were being transferred to hospitals in the district.
The authorities are yet to specify the causes of the accident.
Images of the accident site show the overturned vehicle totally destroyed in the ravine, while a large group of people were involved in rescue and relief work.
“The bus accident in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir is distressing. My condolences to the families who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X.
He also announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees (around $2,400) for the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees to those injured.
Road accidents in India are common due to the poor condition of roads, improper maintenance of some vehicles and the general disregard for traffic rules.
In September, 11 people were killed and another 12 injured when a trailer truck crashed into a bus carrying a group of Hindu pilgrims in the northwestern state of Rajasthan.
In 2021, 153,972 people died and more than 384,448 were injured in about 412,432 traffic accidents in the country, according to the Ministry of Transport by Roads and Highways. EFE
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