Jammu, June 28 (IANS) Two persons were killed on Saturday when a truck skidded off the road and rolled down into a deep gorge on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban district.

Officials said that the truck was en route to Srinagar from Jammu when the driver lost control over the wheel and the vehicle rolled down into a deep gorge in the Nachinala area.

“Both the truck driver and the helper of the vehicle died on the spot. Their bodies have been shifted to the Sub-district hospital Banihal for medico-legal formalities. The driver has been identified as Raju of Udhampur. The police are investigating the cause of the incident,” officials said.

Over-speeding, road rage and overloading often result in fatal accidents on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Road accidents have been a nightmare in the hilly districts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Reasi.

Tough hilly terrain, together with rash and negligent driving, has been costing precious lives each year in these districts.

Till the Vande Bharat train service was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on June 6 this year, the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was the only round the year surface link to the landlocked Valley

Vande Bharat train service has been very well received in Kashmir as it will help horticulture, agriculture, industry, education and above all, the travel comfort to the common Kashmiris.

The dream of a rail link to Kashmir had been a 70-year-old dream which was realised this year, and the special interest shown towards the development of J&K and Ladakh by Prime Minister Modi has succeeded in achieving milestones in almost every sphere of public welfare in the two Union Territories.

–IANS

sq/svn