Accidents kill 1749 people, 547 suicides in 2 years in J&K

JAMMU, Jan 10: Road accidents and suicide deaths have claimed more lives in Jammu and Kashmir in last two years then militancy-related violence, says government report.
As per details tabled in the state legislative assembly, the road accidents killed 958 persons in 2016 and 791 in 2017.
On the road accidents front, the information revealed that the numbers are actually falling from 958 deaths in 2016 to 791 in 2017. Jammu, the winter capital of the state continues to be the capital of road accident deaths too. Against 160 deaths in1275 road accidents in 2016, Jammu recorded 119 deaths in 1038 road accidents in 2017.
The years variation in the number of deaths include 51 deaths in 2016 to 53 in 2017in Srinagar, 9 to 15 in Ganderbal, 7 to 18 in Budgam, 23 to 15 in Anantnag, 15 to 26 in Kulgam, 8 to 7 in Pulwama, 3 to 6 in Shopian, 17 to 12 in Awantipore, 20 to 28 inBaramulla, 15 to 9 in Bandipore, 4 to 15 in Kupwara, 13 to 2 in Handwara and 13 to 5 in Sopore.
Leh witnessed 54 deaths in 2016 and 30 in 2017. Kargil saw a fall from 36 to 12 in two years.
IN Jammu region, it was 68 to 75 in Samba, 74 to 67 in Kathua, 76 to 49 in Udhampur, 53 to 38 in Reasi, 34 to 51 in Doda, 21 to 18 in Kishtwar, 84 to 65 in Ramban, 37 to 20 in Poonch, 63 to 36 in Rajouri.
There were as many as 547 suicide deaths reported across state in last two years. Across the state, there were 272 suicide deaths in 2016 which had a slight increase in 2017 to 275, the information revealed.
Baramulla remains the suicide capital in the state, followed by Handawara district.
In 2016, Baramulla witnessed 23 suicide deaths which increased to 41 in 2017. The police district Handwara reported a jump from 31 cases in 2016 to 57 in 2017.
Anantnag reported 31 such deaths in 2016 which jumped to 33 in 2017.
Kargil is the only district that is free from suicides where not a single case was reported. Even Leh reports two cases each in last two years, the details suggest.
But massive increase in suicides was witnessed in Sopore where the numbers jumped from six cases in 2016 to 16 in 2017. Numbers fell from 8 to 6 in Bandipore, 9 to 4 in Shopian, 30 to 14 in Kupwara, 18 to 5 in Kulgam, and 8 to 1 in Pulwama.
Districts witnessing increase included 7 in 2016 to 8 in 2017 in police district Awantipore, and 20 to 21 in Budgam.
Almost all the Jammu districts that once were the main source of suicide deaths in the state have reported single digit deaths in last two years. Reasi, Doda and Kishtwar have the most modest numbers.
Forces vehicles killed 90: Govt
Monitor News Bureau
Jammu, Jan 10: In the last three years, there were 137 road accidents across the state of Jammu and Kashmir involving the vehicles owned by the government.
In these accidents, 90 persons were killed and more than 175 were injured, the government told the state legislature on Wednesday.
Information revealed in the house said there were 65 cases in which army vehicles were involved and only in 33 cases police vehicles were involved. The data tabled was about three last years ending 2017.
In all the 137 cases the government said the cases were registered and investigations were carried out. The information was tabled in response to a question asked by congress lawmaker Rani Gargi blowria.