SRINAGAR: At least 21 people were killed and dozens injured in a tragic road accident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), officials said.
A passenger bus was reported to have lost control while negotiating a sharp turn and plunged into a deep gorge. The accident occurred on Monday morning near Kanoth village in Udhampur district.
According to local authorities, the 42-seat bus was carrying more than 60 passengers and was traveling from Ramnagar to Udhampur. The vehicle reportedly collided with an auto-rickshaw at a dangerous bend before skidding off the road and falling nearly 100 feet into a ravine.
Rescue officials said 19 people died at the scene, while two more succumbed to their injuries in hospital. Around 45 people were injured, several of them critically. The wounded were shifted to nearby hospitals and medical centers.
India records one of the highest rates of road accidents in the world. Thousands of lives are lost each year due to crashes. Experts attribute most accidents to speeding, poor road conditions, unfit vehicles, and reckless driving.
