Bus Overturns in Udhampur: 12 Dead, Several Injured

Jammu (IANS): A tragic road accident killed at least 12 people and injured several others on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district.

Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (MoS) PMO and Lok Sabha member for the Kathua-Udhampur seat, shared the news on X. “Just now spoke to DC Udhampur, Sh Minga Sherpa after learning about a tragic road accident… involving a public transport bus on way from Ramnagar to Udhampur,” he stated.

Singh confirmed that teams launched a rescue operation immediately. While he expects heavy casualties, he assured the public that the administration is providing all possible assistance. Local authorities are shifting the injured to medical facilities and making arrangements to airlift those in serious condition. Singh remains in constant touch with local administration and a team of local workers led by Sh Rajinder Sharma.

Official Responses

J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha expressed his heartbreak over the accident. “My deepest condolences to bereaved families,” he said, while directing the district administration, Police, SDRF, and Health Department to provide every possible assistance to those affected.

Officials reported that the bus met with an accident near Jalo village on the Ramnagar-Udhampur road. Senior police, civil, and SDRF officials have arrived at the scene to oversee the ongoing rescue efforts.

Investigation and Safety Concerns

Authorities are currently ascertaining the exact circumstances of the crash and have launched an investigation into the incident.

In the hilly districts of Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, and Udhampur, several factors typically cause such accidents:

• Overloading and overspeeding

• Rash and negligent driving

• Poor road conditions

To prevent further loss of life due to human error, the traffic department has deployed special teams in these areas to monitor and penalize traffic violations.