Udhampur, Aug 07 (KNO): Two CRPF personnel were killed while 16 others sustained injuries after a vehicle they were travelling in met with an accident and plunged into a deep gorge in Basantgarh area of Udhampur district on Thursday.
Official sources told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the CRPF vehicle was on its way to a location in the hilly terrain when it skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge, leading to casualties.
“Rescue operations were immediately launched and all the injured were evacuated from the accident site,” an official said. “Two personnel died on the spot while 16 others were injured and have been shifted to a hospital for advanced treatment.”
The deceased personnel have been identified as Anand Koach from Meghalaya and Arvind from Bihar.
The injured personnel include: Karle Gajanand, Sunil Xalxo from Jharkhand, Aneesh Kumar from Kerala, Milan Kumar from Jharkhand, Mohd Mushtaq from J&K (Rajouri), Gopa Ram from Rajasthan, Udharaj (ASI) from Uttar Pradesh, Jitender Pradhan from Jharkhand, S. Sudalai Mani from Tamil Nadu, Zala Vijay Kumar from Gujarat, Sonu Kumar from Jharkhand, Mukesh Kumar from Bihar, J. Hebram from Odisha, Rakesh Kumar from J&K (R.S. Pura), Dhanraj Pahade from Maharashtra, and Sukhwinder Singh from Delhi.
Meanwhile, Army helicopters were used to airlift the injured personnel to hospital for immediate and specialized medical care.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also expressed condolences over the tragic incident. “Saddened by the loss of CRPF personnel due to an accident near Udhampur. We will never forget their exemplary service to the nation. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he posted on X.
He said that officials have been directed to ensure the best-possible assistance to the injured—(KNO)