Tragedy on Sawjian‑Gulmarg Road: Labourer Killed, Five Injured

On Monday morning, a routine construction task turned deadly on the Sawjian‑Gulmarg road near Aangan Pathri in the Sawjian area of Mandi, Poonch district, Jammu & Kashmir. While a crew of General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) labourers was working, a heavy stone broke free from a machine and plummeted onto the workers below.

According to Arif Parvez, one of the labourers on site, “the stone fell from above because of the machine. Six of us were standing right there; one of us died instantly and the rest were hurt.” His voice trembled as he recounted the sudden impact.

The victim, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead on the spot. The remaining five—Farooq Ahmed, Manzoor Ahmed, Abdul Majeed, Mohammad Ashraf and Sherbaz Ahmed—were rushed to the Sub‑District Hospital (SDH) in Mandi. The doctor there confirmed that three of the injured (Farooq, Manzoor and Abdul) are being treated locally and their conditions are stable. The other two, Mohammad and Sherbaz, have been referred to the larger hospital in Poonch for orthopaedic follow‑up.

“We just want justice for our colleagues,” Parvez added, pleading for a thorough inquiry into why the stone became dislodged.

The incident has sparked concern among local authorities about safety protocols on ongoing road‑work projects. While investigations are still underway, officials have pledged to review equipment handling procedures to prevent such tragedies in the future.