Budgam, July 14,: The death toll in the July 9 road accident at Kanihama in central Kashmir’s Magam area rose to two on Tuesday after an injured lecturer succumbed to his injuries at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura.
The deceased has been identified as Shabir Ahmad Dar, a Chemistry lecturer from Gofbal Kunzar in Tangmarg, who had sustained critical injuries in the accident and had been undergoing treatment at SKIMS since then.
The accident had earlier claimed the life of Manzoor Ahmad Malik, a Physics lecturer from Rawathpora, Tangmarg, who died on the day of the mishap.
Officials said both lecturers were serving in the Education Department and belonged to the Gulmarg constituency. Their deaths have cast a pall of gloom over the teaching fraternity and their native areas.
Expressing profound grief over the tragic loss of the two educators, Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Sakina Itoo extended her condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls.
The Minister also called for a fair, transparent and impartial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the accident so that responsibility, if any, is fixed and appropriate measures are taken to prevent such tragedies in future.
The leader of opposition Sunil Sharma also expressed grief over the death of these two lecturers. “Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Education Department lecturers Manzoor Ahmad Malik & Shabir Ahmad Dar in the Magam accident. Heartfelt condolences to their families. May the departed souls rest in eternal peace and may their loved ones find strength in this difficult time,” he wrote on X.
The deaths of the two lecturers have triggered widespread mourning, with colleagues, students and residents remembering them as dedicated teachers who made significant contributions to the education sector.
