Teen girl dies waiting for treatment as mudslide blocks Rajouri road

A teenager lost her life due to lack of medical help when the road she needed to reach a hospital became blocked by a mudslide in Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir. The 17-year-old had been hospitalized for about a month with a health condition, and she had been moved to Government Medical College, Jammu, two weeks ago. Her father informed officials that she fell ill again and needed to be taken to GMC Rajouri.

However, a mudslide near Chak Methyani blocked the road, causing a two to three hour delay on the way to the hospital. The girl's condition worsened due to the delay, and she passed away.

The road, built under the Prime Minister Grameen Sadak Yojana, had been repaired after recent rains but was reported to be unsafe by the Executive Engineer of PMGSY Rajouri Division, who had advised the administration that the road was trafficable. This information conflicted with the view of Kotranka Additional Deputy Commissioner Dil Mir Choudhary, who deemed the road "worst and not trafficable due to landslides and ditches," and stated that transportation of patients, food grains, fertilizers, and 108 and 102 Ambulance services were also not functional in several villages.

Despite repeated instructions for quick repairs, the road remained unattended, leading to suspicions of negligence and failure to follow official guidelines.

Rajouri and Poonch districts experienced significant damage from floods and landslides after recent rains, with 28 people losing their lives in the affected areas. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently visited both districts and promised to seek special assistance from the Centre for the recovery process.