SRINAGAR: Three passengers have died after their vehicle rolled down a deep gorge along the mountainous Srinagar-Jammu highway.
The deceased Tasaduq, Nazir Ahmed and Ahtesham were travelling towards the winter capital Jammu when their vehicle skidded off the road at Digdol, Ramban.
They died on the spot. The three are said to be residents of Chrar-e-Shareef area of the valley’s central Budgam district.
“Rescue operation was launched and the bodies are being retrieved,” a police official told UNI.
The Srinagar to Jammu national highway is a major link between the Himalayan valley and the rest of the country. It has been carved along hills and mountains and sees many deaths due to accidents every year.
The Governor NN Vohra and the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have condoled with the families of the deceased and prayed for their souls, an official spokesperson said.
Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister of State for Sheep and Animal Husbandry (lC) Nazir Ahmad Gurezi and Ali Mohd Dar have also expressed grief over the demise of the youth in the accident