Tragedy Averted: 30 Injured in Amarnath Yatra Bus Crash in J&K's Ganderbal

GANDERBAL, Jammu and Kashmir — A catastrophic disaster was narrowly avoided in the early hours of Tuesday morning, July 28, 2026 when a tourist bus ferrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims skidded off a mountainous road and overturned in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, leaving at least 30 passengers injured.

The vehicle, carrying roughly 50 devotees, was traveling along the Sonamarg road from the Baltal base camp toward Srinagar when the driver unexpectedly lost control on a challenging stretch of terrain.

The accident occurred at the notorious S-Mode stretch in the Hariganiwan area of Gund. According to local authorities, the bus veered off the road and rolled 20 to 25 meters down a steep roadside slope. In a striking twist of fate that likely prevented catastrophic fatalities, the falling vehicle finally came to a rest upside down directly on the roof of a house built along the embankment.

While the impact caused significant damage to the vehicle and structural alarm to the residence, no fatalities were recorded at the scene. Around 30 to 31 passenger’s sustained injuries ranging from minor lacerations and shock to isolated trauma.

The remote mountainous silence was quickly broken by a massive, highly coordinated emergency response. Personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and local army units—including the Rashtriya Rifles—rushed to the crash site. They were joined immediately by nearby villagers who helped extricate trapped passengers from the mangled bus frame.

ITBP medics established an immediate triage site at the location, administering crucial first aid and stabilizing passengers before they were shifted to medical facilities. The victims, confirmed to be devotees hailing from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi, were systematically transferred to nearby Sub-District Hospital Kangan and advanced facilities like SKIMS Soura for comprehensive care. Medical officials reported that while two pilgrims suffered head trauma, the vast majority are in stable condition.

Traffic regulation teams and local police have cordoned off the S-Mode stretch to clear the debris and secure the house beneath the crash site. An official investigation has been launched to determine whether mechanical failure or poor visibility along the winding mountain pass caused the driver to lose control of the wheel.

The incident highlights the persistent dangers faced by hundreds of thousands of devotees undertaking the annual Himalayan pilgrimage, prompting local authorities to once again urge yatra drivers to maintain strict speed limits across Kashmir's unpredictable high-altitude routes.