A pilgrims’ bus met with a sad accident near Manda, Jammu, on Saturday when it skidded off the road and fell into a gorge. The accident injured 17 passengers and killed the driver. It prompted an instant rescue operation.
Eyewitnesses who were present on the scene narrated the terrifying moments. One of them said, “A local eyewitness recounted the moment of the accident, stating, “I was behind. The police had already stopped our vehicle, and we took a lift to reach here. When we arrived, we saw the bus had fallen. The police were already at the scene and were rescuing people. They managed to pull out many people from the wreckage and safely transported them to GMC…”
Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir: A bus carrying pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi met with an accident near Manda Zoo, Jagti, Jammu. The bus skidded off the road and got stuck in a ditch. Police promptly launched a rescue operation, evacuating several passengers. The injured were referred… pic.twitter.com/gNadWB6x6I
— IANS (@ians_india) February 22, 2025
Passengers Rescued, Injuries Reported
A total of at least 17 pilgrims were injured, seven women and 10 men. They all have been rescued and are safe. The authorities named the injured as Anjali (58), Nitesh (35), Sudhir Maheshwari (65), Subash (55), Vrinda (24), Shurti (25), Dhruv (18), Prachi Sharma (24), Vinod Kumar (32), Kartikay Tripathi (28), Kalyani Sharma (25), Himanshu (20), Shreya (23), Sandhya (50), Akshay (29), Aatish (24), and Akansha (27).
Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir: A bus carrying pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi met with an accident, injuring 17 people.
A local eyewitness says, “I was behind. The police had already stopped our vehicle, and we took a lift to reach here. When we arrived, we saw the bus had fallen.… pic.twitter.com/iARpCZJyUR
— IANS (@ians_india) February 22, 2025
Driver Killed, 19 Passengers Rescued
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic, Jammu, Fiesel Qureshi, gave information regarding the accident in Manda. “This bus was going from Katra to Jammu. 19 passengers were there. Almost all of them have been rescued. The driver is still stuck there, and we are trying to rescue him. All the passengers are stable,” he added.
Though efforts to free the stuck driver were made on the spot, officials later confirmed that he died from his injuries.
The reason behind the accident is not yet known. The authorities have initiated an investigation to identify the reasons behind the accident. Details are expected as the officials proceed with their inquiry.
