Ramban, Apr 20: In a prompt and coordinated humanitarian response, troops of the Indian Army rescued dozens of civilians following a tragic bus accident near Ramnagar in Udhampur district on Monday morning.
One of soldiers who was leading the convoy of the troops from Gorkha Rifles battalion, who were en route to Samnabanj for a training exercise, said they immediately secured the area after noticing the civilian vehicle rolling down the hill.
“We immediately launched the rescue operations, thus saving many precious lives yet with great difficulty,” he said.
Later an army spokesman, in a statement, stated that at around 9.40 am, a private bus travelling from Ramnagar to Udhampur veered off the road near village Kaghote and rolled nearly 70 feet down and landed upside down on the road below. The impact caused heavy casualties, leaving several passengers trapped inside the mangled vehicle.
“Troops from a battalion of the Gorkha Rifles, who were en route to Samnabanj for a training exercise, were the first to reach the accident site. Acting swiftly, they launched rescue operations under challenging terrain conditions, evacuating injured passengers from the wreckage,” the spokesperson said.
He said that an ad-hoc Incident Control Centre was quickly established under the Commanding Officer of a battalion of the Dogra Regiment to coordinate rescue and relief efforts. Ten teams comprising personnel from both the Dogra Regiment and Gorkha Rifles were deployed for the operation.
Army personnel administered first aid on-site and ensured the rapid evacuation of survivors. Coordination was also established with the Indian Air Force, which kept air evacuation assets on standby for critically injured passengers.
In addition to rescue efforts, the troops arranged food and water for stranded passengers and responders, providing much-needed relief until the evacuation process was completed.
Survivors, recalling scenes of sheer panic and desperate cries for help, too hailed their (army’s) role while describing army personnel as “first responders.”
PTI report adds:
“Army personnel were the first to reach us, appearing like messiahs amid the chaos and confusion. They pulled us out of the wreckage. I had a miraculous escape — this feels nothing less than a second life for me,” said Neetu Rani (32), wife of Sanjay Sharma, speaking to PTI from her hospital bed.
Still shaken, she recalled the terrifying moments after the crash, saying there were cries for help all around as injured passengers lay trapped inside the mangled bus before rescuers arrived swiftly and began evacuating them.
Having sustained injuries to her back, legs and face, she said she was on her way to her maternal home in Udhampur when the accident occurred.
Rani said the journey, meant to be a routine visit to her mother’s house, turned into a nightmare within moments as the bus lost control on the treacherous stretch.
Sahil Thappa’s uncle Rajesh said they were thankful to the rescuers including the Army and the Police for their prompt action. Thappa (19) was among nearly a dozen students heading for college on board the bus and had suffered head injuries in the accident.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with injured passengers crying for help amid twisted metal and shattered glass.
A hydraulic crane was later brought in to straighten the overturned bus, allowing rescuers to access those still trapped and to clear the debris from the accident site.
