16 dead as passenger vehicle falls into gorge in J-K's Doda
Jammu, Nov 12: Sixteen people, including five women and three children, were killed on Tuesday when a passenger vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, police said.
Doda Senior Superintendent of Police Mumtaz Ahmad said one more person was rescued from the accident site near Marmat area of the hilly district in a critical condition and admitted to hospital for treatment.
Twelve people were killed on the spot after the accident and four more succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment, the SSP told PTI.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has ordered an inquiry into the matter, an official spokesman said.
Officials said the SUV was headed for Gowa village of Marmat from Kleeni when its driver lost control while negotiating a blind curve and the vehicle fell into the 700-metre-deep gorge around 3.25 pm.
The condition of the only survivor, who was initially treated at a local hospital and later shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital Jammu, is critical, they said.
Jammu Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma has expressed grief and shock over the loss of lives in the accident.
"The accident is heart-wrenching. We mourn all those who lost their lives and express deep condolences to the bereaved families," Verma said.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee vice president and former minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori urged the administration to provide ex-gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh each to the family members of those killed.
He also urged the administration to take effective steps to check the frequent road accidents in the Union Territory.
Meanwhile, a boy died after being hit by a speedy truck near Miran Sahib in the outskirts of Jammu on Tuesday.
Sumit Kumar, a class 7 student, was crossing the road outside his house when he was hit by the truck, a police official said, adding that the erring driver was arrested and the vehicle was seized.
Saddened to learn about heavy casualty with 16 dead in a tragic road accident on #Doda - Marmat Road near #Khaleni in #Jammu & #Kashmir. Have spoken to Div Com Sh Sanjiv Verma and offered all possible help/ relief, including from personal sources. pic.twitter.com/TXdMerAS1u
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) November 12, 2019
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
