A tourist vehicle damaged after a massive boulder fell from a hillside on the Khanbal-Pahalgam road in Anantnag (Img: Dynamite NEws)
Pahalgam: A tragic accident was reported on the Khanbal-Pahalgam road in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Wednesday, where a tourist lost his life after a heavy boulder rolled down from a hillside and crashed into a moving vehicle.
The incident took place near Bumzoo Shrine in Bumzoo Mattan area when the boulder suddenly fell from the hill and hit an Innova car bearing registration number JK01AT-8081.
According to officials, the vehicle was travelling from Pahalgam towards Anantnag and was being driven by Arif Dilawar Khan, a resident of Pattan in Baramulla district.
At the time of the accident, six tourists were present inside the vehicle. One of them, R. Himansu Prasad Rao (55) from Ganjam district of Odisha, suffered critical injuries after the boulder strike.
The injured tourist was immediately rushed to Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Officials said the exact reason behind the sudden fall of the boulder from the hillside is being investigated.
Police have taken cognizance of the matter and started further proceedings. The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety of roads passing through mountainous regions of Jammu and Kashmir, where falling rocks and landslides remain a major risk, especially during adverse weather conditions.
The Pahalgam-Anantnag route is frequently used by tourists visiting Kashmir, and authorities continue to monitor vulnerable stretches to prevent such accidents.
