LG announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia each to NoKs of victims
STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Two pilgrims were killed and another was injured on Monday after being hit by a boulder from a hillock near the famous Shiv Khori shrine in Reasi district, police said.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the unfortunate incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased pilgrim.
Shiv Khori, a famous shrine devoted to lord Shiva and situated in between the hillocks about 140 kilometres north of Jammu, is visited by lakhs of devotees from across the country round the year.
The pilgrims were standing in a queue en route to the cave shrine when they came under the rolling boulder in the Ransoo area of Pouni block around 3 pm, a police official said.
He said two pilgrims — Sarwant Sahani (45) of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and Nirmal Singh (18) of Khawas village in Rajouri district — were killed while Sahani’s younger brother Sahib Sahani (32) was injured and shifted to a hospital. Expressing grief over the loss of lives during the unfortunate incident, the Lt Governor announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
Deeply anguished by the loss of precious lives in a tragic incident at Shiv Khori. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones. I pray for the early recovery of the injured , Sinha said.
He directed the district administration to provide all necessary assistance to the bereaved families and ensure the best possible treatment to the injured.