Ten people were killed when a taxi travelling from Jammu to Kashmir veered off the road and plunged into a 300m-deep gorge near the Battery Chashma area of Ramban district along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The vehicle, identified as a Tavera, met with the accident around 1am.
Rescue operations are underway despite challenging terrain and continuous rain, with Ramban Police, SDRF, and local volunteers pitching in. 8-10 bodies have been recovered from the scene. The identities of two victims have been confirmed as Balwan Singh, the driver, from Jammu, and Vipin Mukhiya, a resident of Bihar. The search for survivors is on, said the SHO of Ramban.
Most of the deceased are reported to be non-residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh expressed his condolences to the families affected by the tragedy. "My sincere condolences to the bereaved families,'' Singh said in a post on X. He said that authorities, including the DC Ramban, are coordinating rescue efforts, with police, SDRF, and civil QRT teams at the site.
Further details are awaited.
