KUPWARA — A wave of grief has swept through the frontier district of Kupwara after a devastating road accident at Semari in the Karnah area claimed the lives of a man and his 9-year-old daughter, leaving several others injured.
The tragic incident occurred when a passenger vehicle carrying local commuters lost control while navigating a sharp curve on the rugged mountainous road, skidding off the narrow thoroughfare and plunging into a deep gorge. Local residents and passersby rushed to the site to initiate immediate rescue operations before police teams and emergency responders arrived.
Despite swift efforts from locals to pull victims from the wreckage, the father and his young daughter succumbed to their critical injuries at the scene. Emergency teams successfully extricated the remaining passengers, several of whom suffered severe impact injuries, and transported them to a nearby medical facility for urgent treatment. Medical staff reported that two of the injured remain in critical condition and may require transfer to a tertiary care hospital in Srinagar for specialized care.
Distressing scenes unfolded at the location as families gathered following news of the disaster. Local administrative authorities have ordered an investigation into the precise cause of the crash, citing preliminary concerns over road conditions, poor visibility, or potential mechanical failure.
Community members and local representatives have expressed profound sorrow over the tragic loss of life, renewing urgent demands for reinforced crash barriers, road widening projects, and stricter safety enforcement across the hazardous terrain of the Karnah belt to prevent future fatalities.
The tragedy has ignited widespread public outrage across the district, with local union leaders and civil society groups pointing out that the treacherous stretch near Semari has seen multiple near-misses and fatal crashes in recent months alone. Demonstrators gathered near the local administrative headquarters on Monday afternoon, calling on the regional transit authority to implement immediate interim safety measures—such as high-visibility warning signs, speed governors, and temporary concrete barricades—while long-overdue infrastructure upgrades remain stalled in planning phases.
Published by Banx Network. This article is part of the Banx decentralized media programme, powered by the BXE token on the XRP Ledger.
