A bus fell into a deep gorge in Jammu yesterday, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens, authorities said.
The bus, which began its journey in Kurukshetra in the northern Haryana state was headed to Jammu when it rolled into the gorge, a police spokesperson said.
A rescue operation was ongoing, said the police official, adding that 40 injured people were admitted to the government medical college in Jammu for treatment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences for the 21 people who lost their lives in the tragedy. “Anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Akhnoor. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover soon." the PMO's X account posted.
The Prime Minister's Office also announced an ex-gratia of Rs500,000 to be given to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs50,000 for those injured in the accident in Akhnoor, Jammu.
At least 17 vulnerable points have been identified for urgent repairs along the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
A high-level team of officers on Tuesday inspected the 270-km national highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, to identify the bottlenecks hampering traffic movement amid the ongoing four-laning project.
The bus crash comes hours after the engine of the Sampark Kranti Express derailed at the Jammu railway station yesterday, officials said. No one was injured in the incident.
The accident occurred as the train arrived at the Jammu railway station from New Delhi yesterday. One wheel of the engine went off the track, causing the train to come to a halt, officials said.