6 feared killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir road accident

Six people were feared killed and six others injured Saturday after a vehicle they were traveling in skidded off the road and rolled down into a river in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The accident took place at Mehad in Ramban town, about 150 km south of Srinagar, city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. "Today morning in a tragic road accident, a Srinagar bound Tavera passenger vehicle carrying 12 people including driver fell into river Chenab in Ramban," a police officer posted at police control room Jammu told Xinhua. "Six people are missing and are feared dead, while as six others rescued have been admitted at district hospital Ramban."

According to police, the accident took place around 5:15 a.m. ( local time).

Reports said rescue teams have been pressed into service to fish out bodies from the river. "It's feared, the missing passengers might have been washed away by strong currents of water but we are on to it to trace them," the officer said.

Police officers said most of the passengers of the ill-fated vehicle have been identified as non-local labourers.

Hundreds of non-locals from various Indian states come to Indian-controlled Kashmir every summer to work as construction labourers.

The cause of deadly accident was being ascertained, the police officer said. However, preliminary investigations carried out by police suggested the vehicle was overcrowded.

The Tavera vehicle has seating capacity for eight passengers, but for hilly areas only seven passengers are allowed.

Deadly road accidents are common in this mountainous region often caused by overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving. Endi