SRINAGAR — At least six labourers from Kulgam district of South Kashmir died and as many sustained injuries in a road accident in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh.
Reports said, the accident occurred on Monday morning, when the driver of the pickup truck, in which they were traveling in from Sunni to Mandi, lost control of the vehicle and plunged into deep gorge at Kararghat.
Three labourers died on spot and three were declared dead by doctors upon reaching the hospital, they said.
The deceased labourers have been identified as Fareed (24), Gulab (43), Shabir (19), Talib (23), Gulzar (30), and Mushtaq (30) — all residents of Kulgam.
The six persons who were injured are undergoing treatment at the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital (IGMCH) and they were identified as Ranjit, driver of the vehicle, Aslam, Talib Hussain, Akash Kumar, Ajay Thakur, and Manjoor.
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh expressed profound sorrow over the loss of lives in the accident and offered his condolences to the grieving families.
He also directed district authorities to extend immediate relief to the bereaved families and ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.