9 travelers killed, 27 injured in a bus accident in Poonch

Poonch|Sep,t 14: At least nine people were killed and 27 others were injured, 11 of them seriously, when an overloaded minibus they were traveling in skidded off the road and fell into a very deep gorge in Poonch district on Thursday.
Among those killed include two boys, one of them 5 and other 14 years old, besides three women, two of them teenagers. Official sources said that the accident occurred near Barari Ballah Sawjian when the driver of the bus (JK12-1419) apparently lost control over it. The Bus skidded off the road and rolled several hundred meters into the gorge, they said. Soon after the accident, locals, police and army rushed to the spot and launched a massive rescue operation. Nine people died on the spot or on the way to hospital, a police official said. At least 27 people were injured and were removed to nearby hospital, the official said. Condition of eleven of them is stated to be critical and they have been shifted to District Hospital Poonch, the official added.
The deceased have been identified as Maroof Ahmad (14), Bashir Ahmad (40), Rozsia Akhtar (18), Zarina Begum (40), Mohammad Hassan (65), Nazima Akhtar (20), Imran Ahmad (5), Abdul Karim (70) and Abdul Qayoom (40), all locals. Saddened by loss of lives due to a road accident in Sawjian, Poonch. Condolences to bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Rs. 5 lakh would be given to the next of kin of deceased. Directed Police and Civil authorities to provide best possible treatment to the injured, tweets Office of LG J&K