JAMMU: At least 21 passengers died and 51 were injured Monday after their bus skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Jammu’s Udhampur district.Preliminary probe pointed to mechanical failure, driver error, road condition or a combination of the factors as possible causes for the 10am crash in the hilly Khagote area marked by winding ghat roads.Officials said the bus rolled down the gorge and landed upside down on a road below, crushing an auto-rickshaw whose occupants suffered injuries. The bus was on its way from Ramnagar to Udhampur town. “It lost control while negotiating the hilly stretch,” DIG (Reasi Range) Shiv Kumar Sharma said.An Army convoy passing by stopped after noticing the accident, with its personnel leading rescue before J&K police and locals pitched in to shift the injured passengers to nearby hospitals. Many were later rushed to Govt Medical College & Hospital in Udhampur town. Some were sent to Jammu.According to officials, 19 of the passengers died on the spot. “Two critically injured persons succumbed to injuries at Udhampur District Hospital,” DIG Sharma said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu expressed grief. The PM announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 each for critically wounded passengers. “Pained to hear about the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Udhampur. I extend my heartfelt condolences. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Mosi posted on X.J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah also condoled the deaths and extended aid. “While no amount of assistance can ever make up for the irreparable loss of lives, as an immediate succour, the CM has announced immediate relief of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each deceased, Rs 1 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 25,000 for those with minor injuries,” Omar’s office posted.J&K lieutenant-governor Manoj Sinha assured all possible assistance, calling the accident “heartbreaking”. “My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. May God grant them strength,” Sinha posted on X. Union minister and Udhampur MP Jitendra Singh vowed all help, saying he had spoken to local authorities. “My sincere condolences to the bereaved families,” Singh posted on X.The hilly forested patches of Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban in Jammu region have seen several fatal road accidents over the years due to a dangerous combination of steep gradients, narrow carriageways, blind curves, seasonal road deterioration and heavy traffic.On Jan 22 this year, 10 soldiers died after their bulletproof Army vehicle skidded off the road in Doda’s Khanni Top area and fell into a 200-ft gorge.On May 31, 2024, 22 pilgrims from UP died when their bus plunged into a ravine in Jammu’s Akhnoor. Thirty-eight passengers were killed after their bus fell off a steep slope in Doda on Nov 15, 2023. On July 1, 2019, 35 people died when an overloaded bus fell into a gorge in Kishtwar, while 24 lives were lost after a bus met with a similar accident in Udhampur on May 12, 2015.