Onlykashmir.in News Desk
At least 18 tourists were injured after a Tempo Traveller met with an accident at Sumbal Bala on SSG Road in Ganderbal district on Tuesday.
Officials said all the injured were immediately shifted to Primary Health Centre (PHC) Gund for emergency medical assessment and treatment. After evaluation and triage, eight tourists were referred to SKIMS Soura, Srinagar, for specialised treatment. The remaining injured, who have minor injuries, are admitted at PHC Gund and remain under observation.
The injured who were referred to SKIMS Soura have been identified as Sharda Rani (58), Ramesh Ji (52), Jayesh (42), Shobhna Patel (50), Rajesh Kumar, Swapnadyuti Ghosh (24), Mala Ghosh (48) and Surajit Ghosh (61). They belong to Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat and Murshidabad in West Bengal.
No official statement was available on the cause of the accident, and the condition of the referred patients had not been disclosed beyond the decision to refer them for specialised care. Police are expected to register a case and examine the circumstances, including the speed of the vehicle, the condition of the road and the role of the driver.
The SSG Road, which connects Srinagar with Ganderbal and onward to Sonamarg, carries heavy tourist traffic, particularly through the autumn months. Vehicles such as Tempo Travellers are widely used by visitors for group travel, and a large number of people can be affected in a single accident. The stretch near Sumbal also sees considerable local traffic, which adds to the pressure on the road during peak hours.
As winter approaches, authorities generally advise caution on Kashmir’s roads, with early morning frost and rain or snow making surfaces slippery. A fresh spell of wet weather is forecast from November 12, and drivers have been urged to follow advisories and avoid night driving on unfamiliar routes. Visitors travelling in groups are also advised to ensure that vehicles are in good condition and that drivers are rested.
Health teams at PHC Gund provided first-line care, which is critical in the first hour after such an accident, and the quick referral of serious cases to SKIMS Soura shows how the system works in cases involving multiple casualties. The hospital is the main tertiary-care centre in the Valley and handles the majority of referrals from the central Kashmir districts.
Further details about the condition of the injured and the cause of the accident are awaited. The tourists are being assisted by officials, and their families are expected to be informed.
