Two killed as car falls into deep gorge in J&K’s Doda

Bhaderwah/Jammu, May 11 (PTI) Two men died after their car skidded off the road and fell into a 200-ft-deep gorge as the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Thursday evening, police said.

The incident took place on the Batote-Kishtwar national highway near Malhori village. The deceased have been identified as Joginder Paul of Panthan Parnote Prem Nagar and Ranjeet Kumar of Prem Nagar, they said.

Locals along with police launched a rescue operation. The two men were shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC), Doda, according to the police.

“Two people travelling in a private car were on their way to Jammu from Doda’s Premnagar area. When they reached Malhori, the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve due to overspeeding,” said Senior Superintendent of Police, Doda, Abdul Qayoom.

“Both were shifted to GMC, Doda, where doctors declared them brought dead,” he said, adding the bodies will be handed over to the family members of the deceased after post-mortem examination.

In another incident, a 58-year-old man was killed after he was hit by a speeding car on the Doda-Bhaderwah national highway on Thursday afternoon, the police said.

The incident took place when the man, Mir Din from Massri village, was walking towards his home, they said.

Superintendent of Police, Bhaderwah, Kameshwar Puri said the police were informed that a man’s body was lying in a pool of blood near the Senai bridge on the Bhalla-Bhaderwah stretch of the Doda-Pathankot highway — 16 km from Bhaderwah town.

During inquiry, it was found that Din sustained multiple injuries after he was hit by a speeding car and died on the spot, the SP said.

The errant vehicle has been identified through CCTV footage. Efforts are being made to arrest the culprit, he said.

The body was handed over to the family of the deceased after post-mortem examination, the police said.

A case has been registered in connection with the incident at Bhaderwah police station, they said.