Vehicle carrying Amarnath pilgrims overturns on J-K highway, six injured

Jammu, Jul 10 (PTI) Six Amarnath pilgrims were injured, one of them critically, when a vehicle carrying them overturned on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Udhampur district on Friday, officials said. The accident took place near Toldi Nallah on the Udhampur-Chenani stretch of the highway when the vehicle carrying the pilgrims to the Pahalgam base camp skidded off the road and overturned, they said. The injured pilgrims, all residents of Baikunthpur in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district, were rescued by personnel of the CRPF, Army, Civil Defence, Traffic Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police and shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital, Udhampur. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said one of the pilgrims was critically injured and shifted to GMC Jammu, while the other five were in stable condition and undergoing treatment at GMC Udhampur. "Received the report of a road accident near Toldi Nallah in Udhampur involving six Amarnath Ji Yatra pilgrims from Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. The devotees were travelling to the Pahalgam base camp for the holy cave darshan when their vehicle skidded off the road," Sinha said in a post on X. He said he had directed the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, and medical authorities at GMC Jammu and GMC Udhampur to ensure the injured received the best possible treatment. "I pray to Lord Shiva for their swift recovery," the Lieutenant Governor said. Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udhampur-Reasi Range, Shiv Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Police Amritpal Singh, Deputy Commissioner Minga Sherpa and CRPF Commandant Manoj Sicon visited GMC Udhampur and met the injured pilgrims. The district administration assured them of all possible assistance. Union Minister Jitendra Singh also said he had spoken to Deputy Commissioner Minga Sherpa soon after receiving information about the accident. "Just now spoke to DC Udhampur Minga Sherpa after receiving the report of a private motor vehicle from Madhya Pradesh, en route to Amarnath Yatra, having met with a road accident near Toldi Nallah on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Every possible assistance is being provided. My office is in constant touch," Singh said in a post on X. PTI AB AB DV DV