Driver Dies on the Spot, Two Others Injured
Subhash Mahajan
Chamba
A tragic road accident occurred in the remote Pangi Valley of Chamba district on Friday, January 16, 2026. A Bolero vehicle (registration number JK-17A-2830) lost control near Henth Nala in the Manglawas area of Luj Panchayat and plunged approximately 400 meters into a gorge.
According to initial reports, the vehicle was en route from Luj to Jammu when the driver lost control near the steep stretch, leading to the fatal crash. Three individuals were onboard at the time of the accident.
The driver, Vidya Lal (36), son of Hira Nand, a resident of Samyas Luni village, Post Office Attholi, Tehsil Attholi, District Kishtwar (Jammu & Kashmir), d*ied on the spot.
The two other passengers —
- Arun Kumar (15), son of Suresh Kumar, resident of Karayas village and post office, Tehsil Pangi, District Chamba
- Pradeep Kumar (26), son of Hira Nand, resident of Samyas Luni, Post Office Attholi, Tehsil Attholi, District Kishtwar (J&K) —
were injured in the accident.
Local residents and the administration promptly rushed the injured to Civil Hospital Killar, where they are undergoing treatment. Their condition is reported to be stable.
Upon receiving the information, a team from Pangi Police Station reached the site and initiated rescue and recovery operations. The deceased’s body has been taken into custody for postmortem, and an investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.
The incident has cast a pall of grief over the entire Pangi region. Locals have renewed calls for enhanced safety measures on the narrow and treacherous mountain roads to prevent such tragedies in the future.
