After the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the back to back fatal accidents have taken place along Zojila here on Srinagar-Leh highway. In the last three days, at least ten people have died in separate road accidents while many others are injured. The twin road accidents in just four days is a great cause of concern as both the accidents have taken place at the same spot, which shows the road is slippery after the recent snowfall across Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. On December 05, a local driver among five tourists from Kerala were killed after a vehicle they were travelling in rolled down into a deep gorge at Zojila pass. The vehicle was on its way to Sonamarg and when it reached Panimath, it skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge. On December 07, five local residents of Kargil area were killed after a vehicle they were travelling in rolled down into a deep gorge on Zojila Pass in Ganderbal district. The back-to-back accidents have claimed ten lives, but the government at this junctures needs to take a decision that would help in preventing the loss of the lives in the future. Therefore, the government should consider closing the route till the improvement of the road connectivity and also the improvement in the weather conditions.
A ray of hope
The persistent hailstorms that have battered several parts of Kashmir in recent weeks have once again exposed the vulnerability of...
