‘We’ve been ruined’: Among victims of Reasi terror attack, 4 of Jaipur family, including 2-year-old boy

The damaged inside of the bus carrying pilgrims that was ambushed by terrorists, in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. (PTI Photo)

The two from UP’s Balrampur district who died were identified as Ruby Verma (22) and her maternal cousin Anurag Verma (16), a class 7 student.

An Uttar Pradesh Police official said one more person from the state is likely to have died in the incident but the victim’s identity could not be verified.

Talking to The Indian Express, Pooja Saini’s father Om Prakash Saini, 53, said, “Rajendra and Mamta have three children — Varsha, 22, Rahul, 19 and Lucky, 17. The three have still not been informed that their parents are no more. We told them that their parents are undergoing treatment.”

The five family members, including Pooja’s husband Pawan, left Jaipur for Vaishno Devi on June 6, Saini said. “I was informed by a relative at 9:15 pm on Sunday that they were in the bus which was attacked. Pawan sustained injuries and has been discharged,” Saini said.

Chomu Circle Officer Ashok Chauhan said upon getting the information that four of the deceased belonged to the area, he reached their relatives’ homes. “The post-mortem on the deceased has been done and the bodies will be brought to Jaipur.”

Ruby, a resident of Kandhari village in UP’s Balrampur district, was pursuing graduation and also worked as a teacher in a private school. Her residence is nearly 20 kilometres away from Anurag’s home at Bankatwa village. The two were part of a 13-member group from Balrampur that had gone to offer prayers at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. Ruby’s mother Vimla Devi (52) and elder sister Maina Verma (24), who were accompanying them were injured in the attack.

The bus that plunged into a gorge following the attack in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. (PTI)

Ruby’s elder brother, Banshi Verma (31), who works as a labourer, said his family members embarked on the pilgrimage along with others on June 4. They visited Ayodhya to offer prayers at the Ram Temple before heading to J&K, he added.

He last spoke to Ruby on the phone on June 6, Banshi said.

Balrampur District Magistrate (DM) Arvind Singh said the 10 injured from the district have been admitted to hospitals in Jammu, adding the sub-divisional magistrates of Uttaraula and Balrampur have been instructed to contact the affected families and provide them help.

Gonda DM Neha Sharma said eight members of a family from the district were also injured in the terrorist attack. All of them were evacuated by the relief and rescue teams and admitted to hospitals, she added.

Sharma said she spoke to the family members of the survivors and assured them of all possible help from the administration. “We are keeping an eye on the situation. Some of the devotees were injured after being shot at while many suffered serious injuries as the bus fell into the gorge,” she said.

The bus that plunged into a gorge following the attack in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. (PTI)

“Some of the injured devotees had to undergo surgery. A magistrate and a deputy SP-rank police officer from the district are being sent to Jammu to help the victims,” the Gonda DM said.

Suryanath Gupta, a resident of Gonda’s Bhikharipur village, said eight members of his family left for Jammu on June 4 to offer prayers at the Vaishno Devi shrine. While one of his family members has been admitted to a hospital in Katra, the others were admitted to a hospital in Jammu, he said.

Seventeen family members from Gorakhpur had embarked on the pilgrimage. Two of the injured are residents of Purdilpur Kali Mandir Gali, while the other two are from Bhairopur in the Kuraghat area.

Gautam Gupta (District Disaster Expert-District Disaster Management Authority, Gorakhpur), He said the injured are receiving treatment in a local hospital and are reported to be in stable condition. The district administration is providing necessary assistance to the victims and their families, he said.

Gupta added the family had split into two groups, with 13 members staying in Katra and four heading to the Shiv Khori pilgrimage site. It was during this journey that the terrorist attack took place.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government dispatched teams to J&K to provide assistance to the victims from the state. The teams will coordinate with the government to bring the bodies of those killed back home. They will also ensure that the injured receive proper medical treatment.

— With PTI inputs