7 killed, 9 injured in vehicle fall in Indian-controlled Kashmir

At least seven people were killed and nine others injured after a vehicle belonging to India's Border Roads Organisation (BRO) skidded off road and rolled down into a deep gorge in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said Saturday.

The accident took place Friday evening at Tragbal area of mountainous Bandipora district, about 97 km north of Srinagar, city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The victims were identified as labourers associated with BRO.

"Seven labourers were killed and nine others injured when a vehicle carrying BRO workers fell into deep gorge," an official said.

"Five labourers died on spot while two seriously injured later succumbed to injuries on their way to Bandipora hospital."

Soon after the accident, police officials and locals rushed to the spot to rescue injured and retrieve bodies from the gorge.

Hospitals authorities at Bandipora said nine people in injured condition were brought to hospital.

Officials said the ill-fated vehicle carrying 21 people was coming from Gurez to Bandipora. The cause of accident was being ascertained, police officials said.

Reports said driver of the vehicle was missing until last reports poured in and search to trace him was underway.

The BRO is building roads and tunnels in the region.

Deadly road accidents are common in India often caused due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving.

Last year 146,133 people were killed and 500,279 others injured in 501,423 road accidents across India, a latest report released by India's ministry of road transport said.

Global Road Safety Report - 2015 released by WHO last year, however, said India accounts for more than 200,000 deaths annually due to road accidents.