Archive · 9 Aug 2026
Teen Dies En Route to Hospital After Mudslide Traps Vehicle
A 17-year-old girl who lived in a remote village became very sick and needed to go to the hospital.
Her family put her in a vehicle and drove towards Government Medical College in Rajouri.
Heavy rains had caused mud to slide onto the only road that connects several villages.
The vehicle got stuck in the mud for nearly three hours.
Local volunteers worked hard and finally pulled the vehicle out.
Sadly, the girl's health got worse and she died before reaching the hospital.
The road had been damaged about two weeks earlier, and villagers said they had asked officials many times to fix it.
One official had even said the road was fine, but other officials found it full of mud and deep holes.
Many people were very angry about what happened.
The government suspended a road official and started an inquiry.
A 17-year-old girl from Methyani village died on Friday after her vehicle remained stuck in mud for nearly three hours on the way to Government Medical College (GMC), Rajouri, in Jammu and Kashmir.
The girl, who had been ill for nearly a month and was discharged from Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu, about two weeks ago, fell ill again and was being shifted to GMC Rajouri.
The Chak Methyani-Panglar-Kotecharwal road, built under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and the only link to several remote villages, was hit by a mudslide around two weeks ago and remained unmotorable despite repeated pleas.
The Executive Engineer, PMGSY Rajouri Division, had informed authorities through an official WhatsApp group that the road was restored and trafficable, but ADC Kotranka's verification found it unfit due to landslides and ditches.
District Development Commissioner (DDC) Rajouri Abhishek Sharma suspended Assistant Executive Engineer Agha Zahid Rehman of PMGSY Sub-Division Kalakote, withheld the Executive Engineer's salary, and ordered a detailed inquiry report within seven days.
- Who
- A 17-year-old girl from Methyani village in Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir
- What
- She died after the vehicle carrying her to hospital was stuck in mud for nearly three hours on a mudslide-damaged road
- When
- Friday; the incident was reported on August 8
- Where
- Chak Methyani-Panglar-Kotecharwal road in Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir
- Why
- The only road to her village was left unmotorable by a mudslide and heavy rains, delaying her trip to GMC Rajouri by two to three hours
Villagers and district administration
PMGSY road authorities
Road condition
Villagers and district administration
ADC Kotranka's verification found the road unfit for vehicular movement due to landslides and deep ditches, causing severe difficulty in transporting patients, food grains and fertilisers, with 108 and 102 ambulance services not functional in the villages of Narala, Bamble, Kotcharwal and Panglar.
PMGSY road authorities
The Executive Engineer, PMGSY Division Rajouri, informed authorities through an official WhatsApp group that the road had been restored and was trafficable.
Timely restoration
Villagers and district administration
The DDC said that despite repeated directions for immediate restoration after rain damage, PMGSY authorities failed to undertake the required work, indicating prima facie negligence and non-compliance with official directions.
PMGSY road authorities
The Executive Engineer's report that the road was restored and open to traffic implied the required restoration work had been completed.
- Victim
- 17-year-old girl from Methyani village
- Destination
- Government Medical College (GMC), Rajouri
- Delay
- Nearly three hours (2-3 hours per ADC report)
- Road
- Chak Methyani-Panglar-Kotecharwal PMGSY road, the only link to several remote villages; hit by a mudslide about two weeks ago
- Cause
- Mudslide triggered by heavy rains
- Official action
- DDC Rajouri Abhishek Sharma suspended AEE Agha Zahid Rehman; Executive Engineer's salary withheld
- Inquiry
- ADDC Rajouri directed to submit detailed report within seven days
- Broader context
- Nearly 28 people died in floods and landslides in Rajouri and Poonch; Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he would seek a special package from the Centre
