Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Nov 21: Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a concerning rise in road accidents and casualties this year, with 4,990 accidents recorded by October, resulting in 703 deaths and 6,820 injuries.
According to official data available with ‘Excelsior’, Jammu district recorded the highest number of accidents, with 910 cases resulting in 105 fatalities and 1,218 injuries. Srinagar followed with 394 accidents, leading to 43 deaths and 411 injuries. Anantnag and Baramulla also reported significant numbers, with 37 fatalities and 380 injuries in Anantnag, and 35 deaths and 255 injuries in Baramulla.
Fatal accidents were particularly common in districts like Ramban and Udhampur, where challenging terrains and treacherous mountain roads contributed to 42 and 63 fatalities, respectively. Kupwara and Bandipora, while reporting fewer fatalities, accounted for 5 and 15 deaths, respectively.
Non-fatal accidents made up the majority of the incidents, with 4422 cases reported. Jammu district topped this list with 832 non-fatal accidents, followed by Srinagar with 353 cases and Kathua with 340.
The other districts in the Kashmir valley reported significant numbers of road accidents and casualties. Ganderbal recorded 137 accidents, resulting in 30 deaths and 187 injuries, while Budgam saw 190 accidents, causing 12 deaths and 292 injuries.
Kulgam experienced 138 accidents with 42 deaths and 164 injuries. Pulwama reported 88 accidents with 5 deaths and 131 injuries, while Shopian had 56 accidents, leading to 5 deaths and 82 injuries. Awantipora registered 106 accidents, causing 15 deaths and 121 injuries. Bandipora reported 101 accidents, resulting in 15 deaths and 131 injuries; Kupwara had 101 accidents with 5 deaths and 151 injuries; Handwara saw 72 accidents with 20 deaths and 103 injuries; and Sopore recorded 95 accidents with 10 deaths and 116 injuries.
In the Jammu region, Samba registered 214 accidents, leading to 29 deaths and 261 injuries. Kathua saw 372 accidents, resulting in 34 deaths and 551 injuries. Doda witnessed 191 accidents with 21 deaths and 260 injuries, while Kishtwar recorded 102 accidents, causing 34 deaths and 147 injuries. Poonch reported 146 accidents, leading to 23 deaths and 245 injuries and Rajouri registered 287 accidents, resulting in 32 deaths and 454 injuries.
Experts attribute the high accident rate in districts like Ramban, Doda and Udhampur to reckless driving and challenging road conditions.
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