An Indian Administrative Service officer and his wife were among four persons who died in a road accident near Khardungla in mountainous ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday morning. Two top-ranking civil services officers of Madhya Pradesh cadre have been wounded in the accident.
Sources told The Pioneer that three officers of the Indian civil and police services belonging to the Madhya Pradesh cadre were on a private tour along with their families. On Thursday, they started their journey towards Nubra Valley in ladakh region but one of the ill-fated vehicles skidded off near Khardungla, 35 kilometres from leh, at around 9 am and fell in a 300 feet deep gorge.
Sources said that senior IAS Officer T Dharma Rao, of the Commissioner/Secretary rank, his wife Vidya Rao, their companion Kumad Singh and local driver Chemet Dorje died on the spot. Khardungla Pass is one of the world’s highest motorable passes where vehicles negotiate at 18,380 feet above the sea level at some points.
“There was some downpour during the night and weather was foggy when the accident took place,” a police source said. The accident has taken place apparently due to loss of driver’s control over the vehicle.
An injured Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ashok Avasthi, who heads the Vigilance wing of police in MP and his wife Manjiri Avasthi besides another Commissioner-cum-Secretary rank officer Shailendra Kumar have been wounded in the accident. They were rushed to Sonam Narboo Memorial Hospital in leh for treatment. In fact, wounded Ashok Avasthi alerted a senior police officer in Srinagar on cellphone that helped in swinging the leh police into action.
Visitors travelling on the road in separate vehicles also helped in the rescue operation.