Eight CISF personnel and a civilian driver sustained injuries in a road accident close to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in J&K’s Reasi district. The mishap took place when a bus carrying them overturned on the Tarakote route to the shrine. Among the injured, three CISF personnel, namely Head Constables Sammy Kumar and M.M. Dubey, and constable P.K. Traya, are in critical condition. They have been hospitalized at Narayana hospital in Katra town.
The remaining injured individuals, including a sub-inspector and the driver, Virender Singh, were taken to the Community Health Centre in Katra. Their conditions are reported to be stable. The CISF personnel, who were on their way back to their camp after duty, were involved in the accident.
Road accidents in Jammu & Kashmir are often a result of challenging hilly terrain, reckless driving, and insufficient road infrastructure. These issues are worsened by overloading, lax traffic regulations, and delayed emergency responses on major highways. Various factors contribute to the road safety crisis in the region, such as human error, speeding, overtaking on dangerous curves, and distracted driving.
The challenging road conditions, coupled with factors like mobile phone use while driving and underage driving, significantly increase the risk of accidents. Moreover, impaired driving due to alcohol or drugs, particularly at night, poses a serious threat to road safety. Districts like Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar have narrow, winding roads with blind spots and lack safety features like crash barriers and warning signs.
Adverse weather conditions like landslides, fog, and heavy rains further add to the dangers on the roads, especially in certain seasons. Overloaded vehicles, inadequate maintenance, and the absence of safety gear like helmets and seatbelts contribute to the high fatality rate in road accidents.
