A tragic road accident in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district has resulted in the death of three people and injuries to ten others. The incident occurred on Tuesday along the Doda-Bharth road, near Ponda, when a tempo traveller veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge.

According to officials, the driver of the tempo traveller lost control of the vehicle while navigating a sharp curve, causing it to skid off the mountainous road. The vehicle, bearing registration number JK06-4847, was carrying over a dozen passengers when the accident occurred. The impact of the crash was severe, resulting in the immediate death of three passengers.

Eyewitnesses described a grim scene with cries for help emanating from the gorge. Local residents, police teams, and volunteers quickly responded to the scene, initiating a rescue operation to extract the injured from the wreckage and transport them to medical facilities.

"Rescue operations began immediately, and multiple teams are on the ground," an official stated. "Three casualties have been confirmed at the scene, and ten others are critically injured. Their condition remains serious". Hospital sources indicated that the death toll may rise.

Authorities have appealed to the public for cooperation and to avoid crowding the accident site to facilitate the ongoing rescue efforts. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation.