Jammu Tawi, May 6 -- Four passengers including a soldier were killed and 44 others injured when a private bus skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Poonch district on Tuesday, officials said.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed their grief over the accident.
Abdullah rushed his cabinet colleague and MLA Mendhar Javed Ahmad Rana to the scene to oversee the relief efforts.
The bus was on its way to Mendhar from Ghani village when its driver lost control around 9.20 am and the vehicle rolled down into the gorge, the officials said.
Locals immediately launched a rescue operation and were joined by police, Army and CRPF personnel.
The officials identified the deceased as 45-year-old Mohd Majeed...