Groom among 3 killed as wedding party car falls into gorge in Kathua

KATHUA (Jammu & Kashmir): What was supposed to be a wedding celebration turned tragic in Bhandar area of Bani village, after a car carrying members of a wedding procession, including the groom, plunged nearly 150-200 feet into a deep gorge on Bhandar road in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir.

The incident occurred around 7:30 am on Thursday when the group was travelling to the bride’s house for the ceremony. According to officials, three people, including the groom, lost their lives in the accident, casting a pall of grief over both families.

Bani SHO Inspector Surinder Raina confirmed the details, stating that the police reached the spot later that evening after receiving information and found that an Alto car was severely damaged at the bottom of the ditch. “Two people were seriously injured and were rescued from the spot and brought to Bani for primary treatment”, he said. They were later referred to the Government Medical College (GMC) Kathua for specialised care due to the severity of their injuries.

#WATCH | Kathua, J&K | In a tragic incident, three people, including the groom, died, and two others were injured when a wedding procession met with an accident at the Bhandar Road, Bani, while on its way to the bride’s house for the wedding ceremony pic.twitter.com/pWLdK6RwVM

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“We have just registered an FIR”, said Raina, confirming that an investigation is currently under way to determine the cause of the accident. As per the source, the deceased are being identified as Vicky, son of Khem Raj (groom), Rakesh Kumar, son of Puran Chand, a resident of Gatti, and Jeevan, son of Balibhadar. While Vicky and Jeevan died on the spot, Rakesh was declared dead while en route to the hospital.

The injured Shushpal Sharma, son of Hans Raj, resident of Mohanpur, sustained a head injury and a fracture to the left leg, while the 22-year-old son of Khem Raj, Mohan Singh, sustained a head injury. Both the injured are reported to be in stable condition amid their ongoing medical treatment.

Initial investigations suggest that darkness and slippery road conditions may have caused the accident; however, further details are awaited as the investigation continues. (ANI)