PIX: IAF rescues injured passengers of J&K bus mishap

The Indian Air Force on Saturday showed an impressive gesture by air lifting 10 critical passengers from Chandrakot area to Jammu, after a mini bus fell 500 feet in deep gorge near Batot on Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

The 130 Helicopter Unit of Air Force Station Jammu was called upon for casualty evacuation of the civilians injured in road accident.

The critical passengers were in need of specialist treatment and in the time of need, the IAF without wasting any time reached Chandrakote and airlifted 10 passengers to Jammu.

With inputs from Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

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At least eight passengers of a bus were killed and 30 others wounded, including nine critically, in a road accident in hilly Ramban district of Jammu region on Saturday morning.

A senior government officer said the ill-fated bus was on way to Srinagar from Jammu when it skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in the mountainous Nashri area on Jammu Srinagar highway.

"Out of 38 passengers on board, five died on the spot while 33 others were injured, nine of them grievously who were airlifted to Jammu for specialised treatment," Shabir Ahmad Bhat, deputy commissioner Ramban, had earlier told rediff.com.

He said 20 of those injured in the accident were labourers from Bihar. Bhat also said some of the injured have been dispatched to Srinagar for treatment.

Air Force Helicopter from 130 Helicopter Unit from Air Force Station, Jammu, was called upon to render casualty evacuation at 0845, within 20 minutes the helicopter got airborne to evacuate the passengers from Chandrakote crash site.

In spite of hilly terrain and lot of obstructions, the helicopter captained by Wing Commander Saksena and co pilot Fg Offr Khatri landed successfully on a unprepared helipad at Chandralote.

The AF administration provided all out support to the injured passengers after arrival at Jammu by providing additional manpower and ambulance for moving the injured to Jammu Medical College.