26 Nursing Students Among 30 Injured as Mini-Bus Plunges into Ditch in J&K's Udhampur

Jammu: As many as 30 passengers, mostly students of a nursing college, were injured Tuesday when a private mini-bus skidded off the road and fell into a ditch in Udhampur district.

The mini-bus was headed for Udhampur from Salmari when it met with an accident near village Farma around 12.30 pm.

Authorities launched a rescue operation immediately and rushed 30 passengers to Government Medical College Hospital in Udhampur for treatment.

Three of the wounded were declared "serious" and were in the process of being sent to Jammu for specialised treatment, officials said.

Udhampur Deputy Commissioner Saloni Rai visited the hospital to take stock of the situation.

Deputy Commissioner Saloni Rai said, "Preliminary investigation reveals that the incident occurred because of brake failure, but it will be investigated further. People have suffered injuries, and our priority is to give them the proper treatment." 

Rai added that three to four people sustained major injuries in the accident.

BJP MLA Pawan Gupta said, "We received a call regarding the incident. 20-22 of them are nursing students. 30-35 people are injured and 3 are critical. We will give them the best possible treatment."

The accident occurred on a hilly stretch of road known for its sharp turns and challenging conditions, especially near Shiv Mandir in the Farna area. 

Local authorities have recorded several similar incidents in the past in Udhampur, often linked to mechanical failures or treacherous road conditions.