Daijiworld Media Network- Jammu

Jammu, Feb 28: A tragic accident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district left two people missing, while seven others were rescued after a passenger vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a river on Thursday evening.

Police said the taxi was en route from Poonch town to Surankote when the driver lost control at Kalai Bridge around 8:30 pm, sending the vehicle tumbling into the river below.

A swift rescue operation, led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Poonch, Shafqat Hussain, was launched immediately upon receiving the alert. Seven passengers, including four women, were pulled to safety and rushed to a hospital for treatment.

"Two individuals were swept away by the strong currents, and efforts are underway to locate them. The river is currently in spate due to heavy rainfall in the region," a police official said.

In a separate incident in Poonch, a truck driver lost his life after his vehicle veered off the road and rolled down a mountainside in Chang village, Bufliaz. The accident also took place on Thursday.

The past two days of incessant rainfall have caused most rivers and mountain streams in the Jammu division to swell. The higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed heavy snowfall, while the plains of Jammu were lashed by rain. Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir Valley also experienced light snowfall in the last 12 hours.

The famous Gulmarg ski resort received 1.5 feet of fresh snow, while Zojila Pass, Gurez, and Razdan Pass were blanketed under nearly 4 feet of snowfall. Due to hazardous weather conditions, authorities have shut down the Srinagar-Jammu highway, Srinagar-Leh road, and the Mughal Road.

The Meteorological (MeT) department has forecast similar weather conditions to persist through Friday. Authorities had earlier postponed the 'Khelo India 2025' winter sports event in Gulmarg due to scant snowfall. However, the fresh snow accumulation at the ski resort has raised hopes that the sporting event will be rescheduled soon.