Udhampur Bus Tragedy : Survivors count moments of horor, Credit Swift Rescue for Saving Lives

Irfan Yattoo
Srinagar: Hours after a packed passenger bus plunged into a deep gorge along a treacherous stretch in Udhampur, survivors spoke of panic, confusion and desperate cries for help, even as they credited the swift response of Army personnel and local rescuers with preventing a higher death toll.
At least 21 people were killed and around 30 others injured when the bus, en route from Ramnagar to Udhampur, lost control while negotiating a sharp curve near a hilltop village and rolled down a steep slope before overturning on the road below, officials said.
Sunil Kumar, a survivor admitted to hospital with multiple injuries told Kashmir Horizon over phone that it all happened in seconds, no one expected this.
“ One moment we were moving normally, and the next the bus tilted and began to fall. There were screams everywhere. People were trapped, some unconscious. We didn’t know who would make it out alive,” he said.
Recounting the ordeal, another survivor, Meena Devi, said that she was seated near the window. When the bus rolled.
“I felt everything spin. I could hear children crying and people calling out to their families. I thought it was the end, but somehow I managed to get out with help,” she added.
Passengers said the impact was devastating, with the vehicle’s upper portion crushed and several occupants pinned under twisted metal. Some managed to crawl out through broken windows, while others remained trapped until help arrived.
Among the first responders were Army personnel passing through the area in a convoy.
“We noticed the vehicle go off the road and immediately rushed to the spot. The terrain was difficult, and the bus was badly damaged, but we prioritised evacuating the injured as quickly as possible,” said an Army officer involved in the rescue.
Villagers from nearby areas, along with police teams, joined the rescue effort, forming human chains and using basic tools to pull survivors out of the wreckage.
“It was a race against time. The injured were in pain, calling out for help,” said a local resident who assisted in the operation.
Officials said the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals, while cranes and heavy equipment were later brought in to clear the debris and retrieve bodies from the mangled vehicle.
Several families are still searching for information about their relatives who were on board. “My nephew was travelling for his classes. We have located him, but he is seriously injured,” said a Mohan Sharma, a relative waiting outside a hospital.
Preliminary findings suggest the driver may have lost control at a blind curve, though authorities said a detailed investigation is underway to determine the exact cause.
The accident has once again drawn attention to safety concerns on mountainous roads in the region, with locals calling for stricter regulation of passenger vehicles and improved safeguards along accident-prone routes.