A bus carrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims experienced a brake failure in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to a dramatic scene where passengers had to jump from the moving vehicle. The Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police managed to prevent a major disaster on National Highway 44 in the Ramban district on Tuesday.
The bus, travelling from Amarnath to Hoshiarpur, encountered a brake failure while transporting pilgrims from Punjab. In a video circulating on social media, many passengers are seen leaping from the bus. Quick action from the security forces averted the bus from plunging into a gorge, and fortunately, no fatalities were reported.
In a video that surfaced on the internet shows many pilgrims were seen jumping out of the moving bus. However, a swift response by security forces prevented the bus from plunging into a gorge. Officials confirmed no fatalities occurred.
The visuals from the incident showed the harrowing moments as people jumped from the bus, with security forces running behind to prevent it from falling into the gorge.
The brakes of a bus carrying Amarnath pilgrims failed on a slope while returning from Baltal to Hoshiarpur. Some people jumped out of the moving bus. Police and security forces stopped the bus with great effort. 8 people were injured in the incident. The pilgrims were from… pic.twitter.com/Y6mnmHQpPG
— Gagandeep Singh (@Gagan4344) July 2, 2024
Officials stated that the bus was carrying 40 pilgrims returning to Hoshiarpur. The driver lost control of the vehicle near Nachlana, close to Banihal, due to the brake failure. Ten people were injured, including six men, three women, and one child.
As pilgrims jumped from the moving bus, Army troops and police personnel swiftly intervened, placing stones under the tires to halt the bus’s descent into the stream. The Army’s Quick Reaction Teams, along with ambulances, provided immediate medical assistance and first aid to the injured.
This incident recalls a similar tragedy in May when a bus fell into a gorge in Jammu’s Akhnoor, killing 22 people and injuring at least 50. The overcrowded bus, carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, skidded off the Jammu-Poonch highway while heading to the Shiv Khori temple in the Reasi district.
