Jammu: In the aftermath of a devastating bus accident in Jammu district that claimed the lives of 22 people and left 64 others injured, six transport department officials in Jammu and Kashmir have been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty. The tragic incident occurred when a bus carrying 86 devotees from Haryana's Kurukshetra to the Shiv Khori shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district skidded off the Jammu-Poonch highway and plunged into a 150-foot gorge.

District Magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya confirmed the casualties, stating, "Twenty-two persons have died in this mishap. Presently, 57 injured are under treatment at the Government Medical College, Jammu, and at the SDH (Sub District Hospital), Akhnoor."

The accident occurred on Thursday afternoon when the bus lost control at a blind curve at the Tungi morh in the Chowki Chora area.

Transport department Secretary Niraj Kumar ordered the suspensions and initiated a probe after a high-level meeting chaired by Principal Secretary of the Home department Chandraker Bharti. "Pending enquiry into the conduct and dereliction of duties, officials posted in the Regional Transport Office in Kathua (Lakhanpur) are placed under suspension with immediate effect and are attached in the office of Transport Commissioner, Jammu," Kumar said in an order.

The suspended officials include Ranjeev Bhasin (motor vehicle inspector), Sumit Magotra (junior assistant), and multi-tasking staff (MTS) members Ashwani Kumar, Aman Kumar, Keshav Singh, and Rakesh Kumar. Additional Secretary (Technical) Paramvir Singh will lead the inquiry into their conduct and performance, with a report expected within a week.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate Sachin Kumar has initiated a magisterial inquiry into the incident, with the report expected within seven days. The district administration is closely monitoring the treatment of the injured, who are receiving medical care at the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital.

The administration has set up a 24-hour helpline to assist relatives of the victims and is in contact with authorities in the passengers' home regions of Hathras and Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those injured.

The accident has been described as the deadliest in the region since November 15, 2023, when a similar incident in Doda district killed 39 people and injured 19 after a bus skidded off the road and fell into a 300-foot gorge.

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