Jammu, July 20 (IANS) At least two people were killed and several others injured on Monday when shooting stones hit a passenger bus in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district.

Officials said heavy stones from a hill struck the passenger bus and multiple vehicles at Raggi Nallah in Doda district.

“The sudden slide of stones and debris caught the vehicles on the highway unawares, leading to casualties and damage. Rescue teams rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment.

“In the aftermath of the incident, the highway has been closed to traffic due to mudslides and continuous shooting stones in the area”, officials said.

Officials added that the restoration and clearance work is currently underway, but it is likely to take considerable time given the ongoing weather conditions.

Commuters have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel on the route until the weather improves and the road is declared safe for traffic.

Hilly districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Ramban and Udhampur frequently witness nasty road accidents due to landslides, mudslides, shooting stones, caving in of road portions and overloading and overspeeding by drivers.

The traffic department has deputed special teams to prevent and punish traffic rule violators, while the local administration issues regular advisories to transporters not to travel in vulnerable areas during bad weather.

The mountainous terrain, sharp blind curves, and heavy rainfall make the roads in this region highly prone to fatal accidents.

In January, 10 Army soldiers were killed and 11 others injured when their bulletproof truck skidded off the road and plunged into a 200-foot-deep gorge at Khanni Top along the Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate road.

In June, three Machail Yatra pilgrims died and two were seriously injured when their car slipped off the road and rolled into a deep gorge at Pakki Hatti near the Khellani Tunnel.

In July 2025, seven passengers were killed and 15 injured when an overloaded tempo traveller veered off a hilly road and fell into a deep gorge along the Doda-Barath road near Ponda.

These latest incidents add to a history of tragic landslides across the region. Previous incidents on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway have also claimed lives, including four individuals killed near Sherbibi in the Ramban district when falling boulders sent their truck into a gorge.

–IANS

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