Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Three tourists, including two women, were killed and a child sustained critical injuries when their vehicle plunged into a gorge on Tuesday in the Sonamarg tourist resort in Ganderbal district, officials said.
The incident occurred when a Tata Sumo (JK13B 9912) traveling from Sonamarg to Zero-Point skidded off the road near Panimatha, between Bajri Nallah and Captain Mode, officials said.
There were four passengers in the vehicle. While the driver escaped unhurt, two women and a man died at the spot. The minor was shifted to a nearby hospital in critical condition, according to the officials.
A police spokesperson said that the TATA Sumo vehicle fell down into gorge on Zozila Axis. Out of the four tourists who were onboard the vehicle, three died whose dead bodies were retrieved while one critically injured has been evacuated and referred to SKIMS Soura, police said. The joint rescue operations is being carried out by teams of JK Police, Army, NDRF, SDRF, ITBP and CRPF. The identification of the deceased tourists is being ascertained by the authorities. More details awaited.
The accident comes hours after at least five pilgrims lost their lives and nearly 40 others were injured when a bus carrying devotees collided with a tractor and plunged into a ditch near Adne village on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
The accident occurred on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday when the group of pilgrims from Dombivli, en route to Pandharpur for Ashadhi Ekadashi celebrations, was traveling towards Pune.
The bus, carrying at least 54 passengers, including devotees of Lord Vitthal, was headed from Kesar village in Dombivli to Pandharpur when their vehicle collided with the tractor and veered off the road before falling into a 20-foot-deep gorge.
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