Katra (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], February 23 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic road accident at Manda, in which the bus driver lost his life, and several pilgrims were injured.

In a post on X, LG Sinha expressed his grief over the incident and stated, 'The road accident at Manda in Jammu is saddening. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the family of the driver who lost his life.'

'I hope that the injured recover at the earliest. I have directed the senior officials to extend all possible help to the injured pilgrims,' he added.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also expressed grief over the tragic accident.

'Deeply saddened by the bus accident at Manda, carrying pilgrims from Katra to Delhi. My heartfelt condolences to the family of the driver who lost his life in this tragic incident,' Omar Abdullah posted on X.

'Thankfully, all injured passengers are stable and receiving medical care. Wishing them a swift recovery. Grateful to the rescue teams and officials for their prompt and commendable efforts. My office is in touch with the concerned authorities,' he added.

Meanwhile, the incident, which occurred when the bus was en route from Katra to Delhi, resulted in 17 pilgrims sustaining injuries after the vehicle fell into a gorge near the Manda area.

The injured include 7 women and 10 men, identified as Anjali (58), Nitesh (35), Sudhir Maheshwari (65), Subash (55), Vrinda (24), Shurti (25), Dhuruv (18), Prachi Sharma (24), Vinod Kumar (32), Kartikay Tripathi (28), Kalyani Sharma (25), Himanshu (20), Shreya (23), Sandhya (50), Akshay (29), Aatish (24) and Akansha (27).

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic, Jammu, Fiesel Qureshi shared details about the incident and said, 'This bus was going from Katra to Jammu. 19 passengers were there. Almost all of them have been rescued. The driver is still stuck there, and we are trying to rescue him. All the passengers are stable.' (ANI)