Srinagar, Nov 20: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an alarming rise in road traffic accidents in the first ten months of this year, with 4,990 accidents resulting in 703 deaths and 6,820 injuries across the Union Territory.

Official data accessed by the news agency reveals that 703 lives have been lost in road accidents till October this year.

“703 people were killed, while 6,820 others were injured in 4,990 accidents across J&K in the past ten months,” the data reveals.

The major accident hotspots include the twin capitals of Jammu and Srinagar, as well as the Chenab Valley, particularly Doda district.

“Jammu district recorded 105 deaths in 910 road accidents, while 43 people lost their lives in 394 accidents in Srinagar. Kulgam district followed with 42 deaths in 138 road accidents,” the data reveals.

Statistics show that 893 people were killed and 8,469 injured in road accidents across J&K in 2023. In 2022, 805 fatalities and 8,372 injuries were reported, while in 2021, 774 people lost their lives in 5,452 accidents. In 2020, there were 728 deaths in 4,860 accidents.

The Traffic department has intensified its drive against traffic violators across the Union Territory, issuing 1,211,085 challans till October this year. Of these, 899,110 were court challans, while 311,975 were compound challans, according to official figures.(KNO)