10 Vaishno Devi pilgrims killed in mishap
   Date :31-May-2023
 
Vaishno Devi pilgrims killed
 
 
 
JAMMU, 
TEN Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims, most of them from Bihar, were killed and 66 others injured on Tuesday as their bus skidded off the road and rammed into the railing of a bridge before falling off it, officials said. The death toll may go up as Government Medical College Hospital Principal Shashi Soodan said two of the injured admitted there are critical. J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha approved Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the tragic accident and Rs 50,000 each for those seriously injured, officials said. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the death of pilgrims from Bihar, mostly from Lakhisarai district and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of victims hailing from the State.
The officials said the bus, which was on its way to Katra from Amritsar, met with the accident in Jhajjar Kotli area on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Katra is a base camp for the pilgrims visiting the famous shrine atop the Trikuta hills. “The accident took place at Jhajjar Kotli bridge. Ten people have died. Rescue operation is almost compete,” Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police Chandan Kohli told PTI. “We are investigating the reasons behind the accident.” Local residents, CRPF and police personnel rushed to the spot and launched the rescue operation. “The troops of 137 CRPF battalion carried out the rescue operation to evacuate injured driver and passengers from bus, which turned turtle and fell down from Jhajjar Kotli bridge on highway,” the force said in a tweet.