Police said most of the victims were pilgrims travelling from Udhampur to the shrine of goddess Durga (Machail Mata) at Padder in the ill-fated minibus.
Seven people were killed and 11 injured when their vehicles were hit by a landslide in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Monday.
Police said a minibus and a car plying from Thathri to Kishtwar were caught under the landside at Kuligarh around 11 am. Most of the boulders fell on the minibus, crushing it.
Police and local residents joined forces to rescue the victims and rush them to the sub-district hospital in Thathri, where five were declared dead on arrival. The other two succumbed after being shifted to district hospitals in Kishtwar and Doda, police said.
"Seven persons were killed and 11 others injured in the road mishap. While four have been referred to Jammu, the others are being treated at hospitals in Kishtwar and Doda," said Kishtwar senior superintendent of police Rajinder Gupta.
Police said most of the victims were pilgrims travelling from Udhampur to the shrine of goddess Durga (Machail Mata) at Padder in the ill-fated minibus. Only eight of the 15-member group managed to survive.
The casualties included three of a four-member family who had undertaken the pilgrimage on Monday. While Kewal Kumar, his daughter Askanta and wife Vandana Mathur died in the incident, their 10-year-old daughter Vasu has been admitted to a hospital in Doda. The accident also claimed the life of Ghulam Hassan, a resident of Drabshalla who hitched a ride in the minibus just moments before the landslide occurred. The other victims were Amarnath from Udhampur, Shakuntala Devi from Bhaderwah and a seventh person who is yet to be identified.
Comment: A day later a second accident in Kishtwar left 13 dead when a vehicle skidded off a road and plunged down a gorge:
Thirteen passengers died after a vehicle carrying Machail yatra pilgrim met with an accident in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. This was the second accident in the area in less than 24 hours.
Seven people had died after a landslide hit a passenger vehicle yesterday morning.
Reports said that the vehicle rolled down into Chenab river near Kwar Dool area, leaving 12 passengers dead on the spot and injuring a five-year-old injured, who succumbed later at a hospital.
The District General Secretary Red Cross, Bitta Sheikh said a passenger cab carrying the pilgrims rolled skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge around 7:30 am.
Reports said the accident took place near Nassu village on Kishtwar-Paddar-Ghulabghar road, 20 km from Kishtwar.
Comment: A day later a second accident in Kishtwar left 13 dead when a vehicle skidded off a road and plunged down a gorge: