15 injured as minibus skids off Jammu-Rajouri highway in Tandwal
Synopsis
A minibus carrying passengers lost control and skidded off the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway in Tandwal, injuring 15 people. The incident spotlights a persistent road-safety crisis across J&K's hilly districts, where bad roads, overloading, and rash driving continue to claim lives despite special enforcement squads and awareness drives.
Key Takeaways
15 people were injured when a minibus skidded off the road in Tandwal, Rajouri on Monday, 8 June .
The accident occurred on the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway ; all injured were shifted to hospital.
Police have registered a case and begun an investigation into the cause.
Hilly J&K districts including Rajouri , Doda , Poonch , and Ramban are among the most accident-prone stretches in the region.
Traffic authorities cite bad road conditions , overloading , and overspeeding as primary causes; special enforcement squads are deployed in these districts.
At least 15 people were injured on Monday, 8 June after a minibus skidded off the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway in the Tandwal area of Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir, according to officials. All injured passengers were evacuated to a nearby hospital for treatment.
What Happened
The minibus lost traction on the highway, veering off the road and injuring all 15 occupants on board. 'The driver lost control of the wheel, and the vehicle skidded off the road, injuring 15 people. All the injured have been shifted to a hospital for treatment,' an official said. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to determine the precise cause of the accident.
A Highway Notorious for Accidents
The Tandwal stretch falls within a cluster of hilly districts — including Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Ramban, and Udhampur — that have a documented history of fatal road accidents. Traffic Department officials attribute the recurring incidents to a combination of poor road conditions, vehicle overloading, overspeeding, and road rage. Notably, this is one of several accidents reported on the same corridor in recent months.
Enforcement Measures in Place
Special squads have been deployed across these districts to curb rash and negligent driving. Authorities have taken punitive action including cancellation of driving licences, cancellation of vehicle registration certificates, and imprisonment of offenders. In cases involving minor drivers, parents face imprisonment and vehicle registration cancellations. An emerging concern is stunt-biking by young riders on public highways, with offenders facing fines, licence cancellations, and imprisonment where public safety is endangered.
Awareness and Prevention Efforts
The Traffic Department has been conducting awareness camps to educate road users on the consequences of traffic violations. Petrol pumps in the region have reportedly been directed not to supply fuel to two-wheeler riders arriving without crash helmets — a grassroots measure aimed at reducing fatalities. Whether these steps will meaningfully reduce the accident rate on J&K's mountain highways remains to be seen, as structural road improvements continue to lag enforcement drives.
Point of View
Overloaded vehicles, and undertrained drivers. The enforcement response, special squads and helmet rules at petrol pumps, is real but incremental. What is missing is accountability for road infrastructure itself. Until the condition of the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch corridor is treated as a governance failure and not just a traffic management problem, the casualty count will keep climbing.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Rajouri road accident on 8 June?
A minibus skidded off the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway in the Tandwal area of Rajouri district, injuring 15 people. All injured passengers were taken to a hospital for treatment, and police have registered a case.
What caused the minibus to skid off the road?
According to officials, the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to skid off the highway. Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause, which may include road conditions, overspeeding, or mechanical failure.
Which districts in J&K are most prone to road accidents?
The hilly districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Ramban, and Udhampur are considered the most accident-prone in Jammu and Kashmir, according to Traffic Department officials.
What steps have authorities taken to reduce road accidents in J&K?
Special enforcement squads have been deployed in high-risk districts, and punitive measures including licence cancellations, vehicle deregistration, and imprisonment are being applied against rash drivers. Awareness camps are also being held, and petrol pumps have been directed not to sell fuel to helmetless two-wheeler riders.
What action is taken when minors are caught driving in J&K?
When minors are found driving vehicles, authorities impose imprisonment on parents and cancel the vehicle's registration certificate, in addition to other penalties.
