10 people killed after SUV falls into gorge in J&K's Ramban

Banihal/Jammu: Ten people were killed after an SUV skidded off the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and fell into a gorge in Ramban district on Friday, officials said.

The vehicle, a Tavera, was on its way to Jammu from Srinagar and it fell into a 300 feet gorge at the Battery Cheshma area of the district around 1.15 am, they said.

Ten people have died,  the officials said.

Police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel are at the spot. The bodies of 10 passengers have been recovered amid heavy rains, the officials said.

They said that the car's driver, Balwan Singh (47), of Amb Ghrotha in Jammu and Vipin Mukhiya Bhairagang of West Champaran in Bihar are among the deceased.

Rescue operation is underway, the officials said.

In a post on X, Union Minister and Udhampur MP Jitendra Singh said personnel of the police, SDRF and civil quick response teams are at the spot and the rescue operation is underway."My sincere condolences to the bereaved families," he said.

"Spoke to Ramban Deputy Commissioner Baseer-ul-Haq after learning about the tragic road accident in which a passenger taxi rolled down a deep gorge on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near Battery Chashma leading to loss of 10 lives," Singh said.

Last year on November 15, 39 passengers were killed and 17 others injured after a bus fell into a deep gorge in Doda district.