Four persons, including a senior IAS officer of the Government of Madhya Pradesh died and three others sustained injuries when their car skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge at Khardung La, 18,000 ft above sea level, in Ladkah region of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.
Deputy Commissioner of Leh, Simranjit Singh, told The Hindu that the group of IAS and IPS officers from MP, alongwith families, was on way from Leh to Nobra when their Innova, bearing registration number JK10-6773, swerved to the extreme side of an end to avoid a stone and plunged into a deep gorge at 9.00 a.m. Three of the group and their driver died and three more sustained injured.
The injured have been evacuated and admitted to Sonam Norbo Memorial District Hospital at Leh. Mr Singh said that the three bodies would be flown to New Delhi on Friday wherefrom these would be carried to the respective residences of the ill-fated officers. He said that the injured too would be airlifted to New Delhi for specialized medical treatment on Friday.
DC Leh identified the dead as Mr Dharma Rao, Commissioner Industrial Board Bhopal (IAS-1989), his wife Vidhya Rao, Mrs Kumudh Singh (wife of Mr Shivendar Singh) and driver Chemet Dorjay of Hamaskot, Kargil.
He identified the injured as as Mr Shivender Singh Chief Executive Officer of Ujjain Development Authority, Mr Ashok Avasthi (IPS-1989) IG Vigilance Bhopal and his wife Majuri Avasthi.
