KARNAH, Sept 28(JKNS): Five people, including a nine-month-old girl, were killed and six others seriously injured in a tragic road accident in the Samari-Tetwal area of Karnah on Sunday morning, triggering grief and concern across the sub-division.
According to reports, the accident occurred at around 9:30 am when a Scorpio vehicle bearing registration number JK07-1299 was travelling from Samari, the last village on the Indian side, towards Titwal. The vehicle reportedly skidded off the road and plunged into the Kishanganga River.
A total of 11 people were travelling in the vehicle. Five of them died in the accident, while six others sustained serious injuries.
Soon after the accident, local residents and concerned agencies launched rescue operations. The injured were shifted to the Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Tangdhar, where they received initial treatment before being referred to Srinagar for further medical care.
Five deceased identified
The deceased have been identified as 32-year-old Mohammad Idrees, son of Qaiser Din; his nine-month-old daughter Khmeza Bano; 30-year-old Sayeeda Begum, wife of Mohammad Idrees 55-year-old Shabir Ahmad; and 27-year-old Raja Irshad, son of Majeed Khan.
The deceased were residents of Samari, Chalhana and Bhagwan areas of Karnah.
Among those injured are Mushtaq Ahmad, Khursheed Ahmad, Javaid Ahmad, Ayesha Hamid and Ejaz Manzoor, along with a minor child. The injured have been shifted to the Valley for specialised medical treatment.
Deceased laid to rest amid grief
The deceased were laid to rest late in the evening at Tetwal, Samari and Bhagwan Kadhama, amid tearful scenes. A large number of local residents, relatives, friends and people from different sections of society attended the funeral prayers.
The entire area remained in mourning, with family members and relatives inconsolable over the loss. Emotional scenes were witnessed as people from across Karnah reached the affected families to offer condolences and express solidarity with them.
Officials visit accident site
Following the accident, Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Shrikant Bala saheb Suse, SSP Kupwara Syed tahir Gilani, SDM Karnah Mohammad Riyaz, Tehsildar Karnah and Traffic Department officials visited the accident site.
The officials took stock of the rescue and relief operations and met the bereaved families to convey their condolences and sympathies.
MLA seeks compensation for victims
Expressing deep grief over the tragic incident, Karnah MLA Javed Ahmad Mirchal urged the government to provide adequate compensation to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident.
He also appealed to the government and concerned authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured.
Former Karnah MLA Kafeel-ur-Rehman, Advocate Raja Manzoor, President of Karnah Bar Association Qazi Mehboob-ul-Iahi, and members of civil society, besides various political, social, business, educational and literary organisations, expressed grief over the tragedy.
They conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the eternal peace of the deceased and speedy recovery of those injured in the accident.(JKNS)
