A Seven-year-old boy miraculously survived an accident near Jozila Pass in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday in which 10 people from Gujarat died. The mishap occurred near the Kashmir Health Resort at Jozila Pass.
The survivor, Het Vora (7), was with his parents, Darshan and Anjali, residents of Sarkhej in Ahmedabad. Darshan’s friend, Rajesh Shah, wife Asmita Shah and their relatives — Prakshal and Parshav Shah, residents of Navrangpura, had accompanied the family in the ill-fated Tata Sumo.
Jayant Vora, uncle of Darshan, who runs a mobile store in Ahmedabad, said: “Het is in a Srinagar hospital and is out of danger. He lost both his parents in the tragedy. They had reached there on Sunday and the accident occurred the same day.”
The group had decided to visit Jammu and Kashmir and had booked a package tour with Navbharat Travels in Ahmedabad for a week, under which they were to get luxury cars for the trip.
When the families reached Jammu, they were informed about the sudden change in climate, and the travel agency refused to take them to the planned spots.
Darshan and Rajesh, along with another family, then hired a Tata Sumo for sightseeing. They had no idea about the terrain, added Vora.
Jozila Pass is known for landslides and treacherous terrain. It remains open only between mid-June and mid-October, said sources.
Navbharat Travels, however, claimed they were aware of the situation near the pass and had alerted the families about the complications. But the families allegedly complained that the travel agency had booked a week’s package in the last month of October when the pass is usually closed.
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