PATNA: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Tuesday expressed immense grief over the death of pilgrims from the state in a bus accident in Jammu this morning and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next kin of the victims hailing from the state.
Nitish also directed Bihar’s Resident Commissioner (in New Delhi) to coordinate with the officials of the Jammu & Kashmir Government and make necessary arrangements for proper treatment of all those injured pilgrims who hail from Bihar. He also asked the resident commissioner to extend all possible help to the pilgrims.
At least 10 pilgrims, who were on their way to Mata Vaishno Devi temple, were killed and 57 others injured as their bus fell into a deep gorge on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Tuesday morning.
Most of the deceased and injured persons belong to a family. They were going to Mata Vaishno Devi for the “Mundan" ritual of a child. Most of the deceased are natives of Lakhisarai district in Bihar, but they were currently living in Amritsar (Punjab) for their livelihood. They were going to Katra from Amritsar by a bus, police said.
“The CM is deeply saddened by the death of Bihar pilgrims in the bus accident in Jammu. He also wished for early recovery of all the injured persons,” said a statement issued by the office of Bihar chief minister.
Police officials in Jammu told media persons that the ill-fated bus, which was on its way to Katra from Amritsar, met with the accident in Jhajjar Kotli area on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The bus skidded off the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and rolled down the bridge over a rivulet at Jajjar Kotli between 6.30 and 7 am on Tuesday morning, Jammu Police said.
