STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Six people, including three protestors and a couple, were killed and as many injured in two road accidents in Udhampur district on Friday, officials said.
Three people who were among those holding a protest demanding repair of drinking water supply pipes were killed and six others including a three-year-old child injured after a truck knocked them down in the Chenani area of the district, the officials said.
The injured were shifted to the district hospital, they said.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed deep anguish over the unfortunate road accident.
“Deeply anguished by the unfortunate road accident in Udhampur. Condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured. Directed district administration to provide best possible treatment to injured & to render all assistance to the kin of the victims,” the Lt Governor wrote on his official Twitter handle.
According to officials, the truck driver failed to negotiate a blind curve and ended up ramming into a few of the protestors who were staging a protest demanding that the pipes supplying drinking water to their hamlet in the Chenani area be repaired, the officials said.
Three people were killed and six others injured, Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, Indu Chib told PTI.
Three of the injured have been referred sent to GMC hospital in Jammu, he said.
The district administration has ordered an inquiry into the incident, the official said.
The deceased have been identified as Surishta Devi (32), Savitri Devi (33) and Abdul Rashid (60), the officials said.
An ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 each has been provided to the victims’ kin, Chib said.
According to a news agency, the injured include Mubashar Ahmed (03), Altaf Hussain (15), Gian Chand (57), Barket Begum (60), Shahin Akhter (29) and Muhammad Ramzan (28).
Soon after this tragic accident, another protest hit the area where a large number of people assembled on the road.
The protesters were later pacified by the officers of police and civil administration.
Police said that a case under FIR number 43/2022 U/S 279/337/304-A has been registered in local police station and further investigation is going on.
In another road accident, a couple and their daughter were killed in the Garani area of Udhampur on Friday, the officials said.
They were riding on a motorcycle when it hit a road-divider. The trio succumbed to injuries while on the way to hospital, they said. The deceased have been identified as Shanti Devi, her husband Salim and their daughter Rinku. They hailed from the Arnas area of Reasi district, the officials said.