11 Jun. 24: In a horrific terror attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Sunday evening, nine people lost their lives, including four members of a family from Jaipur and two cousins from Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district.
The victims from Chomu near Jaipur were identified as Pooja Saini (30), her two-year-old son Levansh, Pooja’s paternal uncle Rajendra Saini (44), and Rajendra’s wife Mamta (40). From Uttar Pradesh, Ruby Verma (22) and her cousin Anurag Verma (16) were among the deceased.
Pooja Saini’s father, Om Prakash Saini, recounted the tragic incident, revealing that Rajendra and Mamta’s children – Varsha (22), Rahul (19), and Lucky (17) – are yet to be informed of their parents’ deaths. “We told them that their parents are undergoing treatment,” he said. Pooja’s husband, Pawan, sustained injuries and has been discharged from the hospital.
The victims from Uttar Pradesh were part of a larger group from Balrampur on a pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. Ruby Verma, a graduate and private school teacher, was accompanied by her mother, Vimla Devi (52), and elder sister, Maina Verma (24), both of whom were injured in the attack. Ruby’s brother, Banshi Verma, spoke of their journey which began on June 4, including a visit to Ayodhya before heading to J&K.
Local authorities have been actively assisting the affected families. Balrampur District Magistrate Arvind Singh confirmed that the injured are receiving treatment in Jammu hospitals. Gonda District Magistrate Neha Sharma reported that several from her district were injured, with relief teams ensuring their evacuation and medical care.
Suryanath Gupta from Gonda’s Bhikharipur village mentioned that eight family members were on the pilgrimage. District authorities in Gorakhpur have also been providing support to the injured, ensuring they receive necessary medical attention.
In response to the attack, the Uttar Pradesh government dispatched teams to Jammu and Kashmir to coordinate assistance and ensure proper medical treatment for the injured, as well as to facilitate the return of the bodies of the deceased.
The attack has left the nation in mourning, with affected families and communities grappling with the immense loss. Authorities continue to investigate the incident, while providing ongoing support to the victims and their families.
