At least seven people were killed and more than 30 were injured when a boulder rolled down and hit people bathing in a waterfall in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, a senior police officer said. The injured have been taken to nearby hospitals.
The incident occurred around 3.30 pm at Siar Baba waterfall, a major attraction for holiday-makers, Senior Superintendent of Police Reasi Tahir Sajad Bhat told PTI.
The others present at the scene rushed to rescue those trapped under the debris. They were joined by police with JCB machines, another police officer said, adding the rescue operation was going on when reports last came in.
He said the death toll might rise as the condition of many injured people was critical . Most of the dead and injured belonged to Jammu district, the officer said.
The injured included Ashok Kumar and his five-year-old son from Uttar Pradesh. Eight boys and girls and seven women were undergoing treatment at local hospitals, the officer said.
Those injured were shifted to the Reasi district hospital in private cars, as the administration alerted the hospital authorities and additional staff, including doctors and paramedics, was rushed to attend to the injured people, he said.
Many people involved in the rescue operation complained that only one doctor was present at the hospital at the time the injured people were admitted for treatment.
