Bus falls into gorge in J&K; 6 ITBP, 1 police personnel killed

Srinagar: Six ITBP personnel and a policeman died while 32 others -- who were returning from Amarnath Yatra duty -- sustained injuries on Tuesday when a bus fell into a deep gorge in the Pahalgam area of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said.

A police bus carrying 37 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel and two policemen fell into the gorge between Chandanwari and Pahalgam, a police official said.

He said while two ITBP personnel died on the spot, five others succumbed to injuries later.

The condition of six of the injured personnel is stated to be critical, the official said, adding they are being airlifted to Srinagar for specialised treatment.

The 37 ITBP personnel and two from the JKP were being de-inducted from the Amarnath Yatra duty that concluded on August 11, a senior officer said.

An ITBP spokesperson said in Delhi, "A bus carrying 39 personnel fell down into a roadside river bed after its brakes reportedly failed. The troops were on their way from Chandanwari to Pahalgam. Casualties are feared and more details are awaited."

A Border Security Force (BSF) helicopter has been pressed to airlift the casualties, officials said.