Kishtwar Accident: PM Modi, Amit Shah express grief, pray for speedy recovery of injured

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed grief over loss of lives in Kishtwar accident. 33 passengers were killed and several injured after a bus fell into deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district. Taking to micro blogging website Twitter, PM Modi wrote, “The accident in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar is heart-wrenching. We mourn all those who lost their lives and express condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest (sic).”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah while expressing grief wrote, “Extremely saddened to learn about the loss of lives due to a road accident in Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones. I pray of the speedy recovery of those injured (sic)."

Extremely saddened to learn about the loss of lives due to a road accident in Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones. I pray of the speedy recovery of those injured.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 1, 2019

Expressing anguish, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said, “Terrible news coming in about the high death toll in a bus accident in Kishtwar. Condolences to the families of the deceased & prayers for the swift recovery of the injured.”

Mehboob Mufti, PDP chief and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, also expressed her sorrow. “Saddened to hear about the tragic accident in Kishtwar. Deepest condolences to families of the bereaved,” Mufti said on Twitter.

Local media reports said that the bus was on way to Kishtwar from Keshwan when it skidded on the road near Srigwari and fell into a deep gorge. Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Angrez Singh confirmed the death toll saying, “Thirty were killed and seven critically injured.”  Early reports suggest that the matador was overloaded. According to senior police official, the accident took place around 7:30 am when the bus skidded off the road at Sirgwari and rolled down into the gorge. Bodies of 20 passengers have been recovered so far, IGP Jammu MK Sinha said. Rescue operation is going on, he said.