Kishtwar mishap: Machail Yatra devotees death toll rises to 13

In a mishap on August 21, a vehicle carrying devotees to a temple, skidded off the winding road and fell into the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district. The death toll initially amounted to 12 people with a five-year-old child being the only survivor, police said. The child later succumbed to injuries.

According to reports, the passengers were on their way back from Machail pilgrimage in the vicinity.

“A vehicle carrying pilgrims to the Machail Mata temple rolled down and fell into the Chenab river, around 28 km from Kishtwar, in the Padder belt area today,” Jammu and Kashmir DGP Shesh Paul Vaid had previously told PTI.

Another major accident in Kishtwar, a vehicle carrying Yatries to Machail Mata rolled down in river Chenab 28 kilometres from Kishtwar towards Padder, 5 yrs child lone survivor,about dozen feared dead.

— Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) August 21, 2018

Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Angrez Singh Rana said, “Twelve people have been killed and one injured in road accident at Keward area of Padder. They were on their way to Kishtwar from Padder when the incident happened in the morning.”

Previously, SSP Rajinder Kumar Gupta had said, “Only a girl survived the accident. Six males and five females were among the dead.”

“I am on the spot and have launched a rescue operation. A few bodies have been retrieved from the gorge; the rescue operation is still on,” he added.

Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Sham Lal Sapolia said, “We have received a minor girl who is admitted to the hospital. We are giving her best treatment available. No dead body has reached the hospital so far.”

This is the second accident in the area in the last 24 hours.  On August 20, seven persons, including a policeman were killed in a similar road accident, 12 others injured after two vehicles came under a landslide in the district. The incident took place in the vicinity of Kulligad on the Doda-Kishtwar road.

13 people died on the spot, injured child was shifted to hospital in Kishtwar & then to Jammu. But she died in Jammu: Kishtwar District Collector Angrez Singh Rana (1st pic) on vehicle carrying ‘Machel Mata’ devotees rolled down in river Chenab earlier today. #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/QikHY45OHn

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2018

Kishtwar: 11 dead bodies recovered, 5-year-old injured child shifted to hospital, after a vehicle carrying ‘Machel Mata’ devotees rolled down in river Chenab 28 kilometres from Kishtwar towards Padder, earlier today. #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/lAtl5AFzZy

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2018

Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir: Radio channel 93.5 Red FM to launch a new station on Eid