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98 killed in accidents in J&K, Haryana

At least 96 people were killed and 30 seriously injured in two mishaps, one caused in Jammu and Kashmir when a bus skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge and the other, when a fire broke out in Sonepat, Haryana.

The bus accident occurred at Bhoond village in Kathua district, 53 miles south of Jammu, the state's winter capital, late on Saturday afternoon.

Police said the driver lost control of the vehicle due to a mechanical failure and skidded off the road while negotiating a sharp turn. The vehicle ended up in a deep gorge.

Most of the injured passengers were taken to the local district hospital, though those in very serious condition were admitted to the Government Medical College in Jammu.

Star Television said most of the passengers were local government officials who were returning home on the eve of Diwali.

Kathua police chief R R Swain rushed to the spot with a team of policemen. The bodies of the passengers were scattered around. Villagers who rushed to the spot managed to extricate the injured, who were then shifted to a hospital at Basholi.

The villagers told the police that they saw more than 50 bodies scattered around.

In the other tragedy, at Sonepat, Haryana, 44 people were killed and 13 others injured last evening in a devastating fire that broke out at the Katchi Quarter market in Ashok Nagar locality.

Sonepat Deputy Commissioner Sudhir Rajpal told United News of India on telephone that the fire was caused by a spark from a cracker in the market and spread to adjoining shops, gutting 17 shops in all.

Most of the people present in the place tried to save themselves by rushing into a crockery shop. But packing material in the shop caught fire, trapping them.

Four of the injured have been admitted to the Rohtak Medical College Hospital. Nine others have been admitted to the civil hospital and some private hospitals.

Rajpal said Police Constable Ashok Kumar, who was on patrol in the area, also perished in the flames while trying to save people. He was cremated at Sonepat today. The deputy commissioner and other senior officers of the district were present at the cremation.

Rajpal said fire tenders were requisitioned from Delhi, Panipat, Bahadurgarh and Rohtak. The fire was brought under control only after 12 hours.

This was the second major fire in Haryana after the Diwali incident. In the first, which happened a few years ago, more than 450 people, mostly school children, were killed.

Expressing deep shock and grief, Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 100,000 to each of the bereaved families. He also sent the state health services director general, P L Jindal, with a team of doctors to Sonepat and ordered free medical aid to the injured.

Commending the exemplary courage shown by Constable Ashok Kumar, the chief minister said a suitable job would be given to his next of kin. An ex-gratia of Rs 100,000, in addition to the Rs 100,000 being given to the next of kin, will also be given to his dependants.

The chief minister's son, Ajay Chautala, MP, who reached Sonepat today, was present at Ashok Kumar's cremation. He also called on the bereaved families and inquired after the health of the injured admitted to various hospitals there.

Meanwhile, 32 bodies have so far been identified and handed over to their relatives after post-mortem.

UNI and Reuters, with Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

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