Seven passengers, including pilgrims en route famous shrine of Macchail Mata in Paddar area of Kishtwar, were killed and 12 others were injured when a massive rockslide crash landed on their Matador near Kuligadh area on Monday morning.
The ill-fated Matador was coming from Udhampur and heading towards Gulabgarh base camp of Macchail yatra.
A selection grade constable of J&K Police and his five-year old daughter were among those killed in the accident while his injured son was admitted to the district hospital Doda along with six others.
Rescue teams of the state police and large number of local residents in the area rushed to the spot soon after matadoor and a private car were hit by the massive rockslides.
The police teams with help from the locals managed to rescue one dozen passengers from inside the crumbled passenger vehicle.
Six seriously injured passengers were airlifted to Jammu Medical college hospital for advance medical treatment while others were admitted in the district hospital, Doda.
SSP Kishtwar Rajinder Gupta said, "a yatra matadoor and one Alto car, heading towards Macchail yatra met with an accident due to rockslide at Kulighad near Drabshalla on Monday morning".He said four passengers died on the spot while three others succumbed in the hospital.
The deceased passengers were identified as SgCt Kewel EXJ-966049 S/o Bodh Raj R/o Kawa Udhampur, Askanta 5 yrs D/o Kewel R/o Udhampur, Amarnath S/o Beli Ram R/o Basantgarh and Mohd Hussain S/O Karim Din R/O Bounjwah.