• Three separate mishaps within hours—two road accidents, a gas cylinder leak—plunge families into fear as victims fight for recovery
Aqzar Raheel
Ganderbal: In a day marked by panic, pain and desperate prayers, central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district witnessed three separate mishaps within hours on Friday, leaving nine people injured, including a 10-year-old boy. The back-to-back incidents sent shockwaves across the district, with anxious relatives rushing from accident sites to hospitals in the hope of hearing reassuring news.
The first and most serious accident occurred at Hayan Bridge, where a Xylo vehicle (JK10-5974) reportedly went out of control and slammed into a roadside electric pole. The impact left all five occupants injured.
Officials identified the injured as Ashgar Ali (27) of Kargil, who was driving the vehicle, Hassan Askri, Junaid Iqbal, Liyaqat Ali, and 10-year-old Mohd Danish, all residents of Leh. They were initially shifted to Sub-District Hospital, Kangan, but were later referred to SKIMS Soura after doctors advised specialised treatment.
Before the district could recover from the shock of the first accident, another mishap was reported from Prang Gagarpati in Kangan, where a tipper vehicle (JK13-5132) overturned after the driver allegedly lost control. Local residents and emergency responders pulled the injured driver from the damaged vehicle and rushed him to a nearby hospital. Officials said his condition is stable.
In yet another distressing incident, three residents of Wakura village suffered burn injuries after a gas cylinder leaked inside a hut in the Gund area. The accident left the victims with serious burn injuries, prompting their immediate evacuation to SDH Kangan before they were referred to SKIMS Soura for advanced treatment.The injured were identified as Abdul Hameed Wani (37), Manzoor Ahmad Ganie (40), and Shahri Yaar Majeed (40).
Police have registered cases in the road accidents and launched investigations, while officials are also probing the circumstances that led to the gas cylinder leak. For many families, the day became a painful test of hope and resilience. Ambulance sirens echoed through the valley, hospital corridors filled with anxious relatives, and ordinary lives were disrupted in a matter of moments. The string of accidents has once again highlighted the urgent need for greater road safety, careful driving, and strict adherence to household safety measures to prevent such tragedies.
