BANIHAL, July 12, 2026: A major traffic mishap was averted on Monday morning when two buses transporting Amarnath Yatra pilgrims collided head-on at the Chanderkote Langar Point in the Ramban district, leaving 18 pilgrims minorly injured.
According to official reports, the accident occurred at approximately 7:21 a.m. when a pilgrim bus bearing registration number JK01Y/1044 experienced a sudden brake failure, causing the driver to lose control and ram directly into another oncoming Yatra bus, registered as JK01Y/1052. The force of the impact also caused secondary damage to a third vehicle, registration number JK21K/8115, which was parked nearby.
Emergency response teams and local authorities immediately rushed to the scene to manage the situation and assist the victims. Officials confirmed that while the collision caused widespread panic among the passengers, all 18 pilgrims escaped with minor injuries. However, the driver of the brake-failed vehicle bore the brunt of the impact, sustaining comparatively more severe injuries than the passengers, though authorities confirmed that his condition is stable and not critical.
All injured individuals, including the driver, were swiftly evacuated from the crash site and shifted to District Hospital Ramban for immediate medical attention. Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Ramban, Sudarshan Singh Katoch, stated that the facility received 18 patients from the accident site.
Following a thorough medical examination and the administration of necessary first aid, all 18 victims were safely discharged as none had sustained life-threatening or serious wounds. Following the incident, the police took official cognizance of the crash, cleared the ill fated vehicle to restore traffic flow on the highway, and have initiated a detailed investigation to verify the exact mechanical failure that led to the collision.