Srinagar, July 30: Seventeen children below the age of 18 were among 206 people killed in road accidents on national highways in Jammu and Kashmir sofar in 2026, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The figures, sourced from the e-DAR portal and presented by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as per Kashmir Convener show that 1,109 accidents were recorded on National Highways and expressways in the Union Territory during the year sofar, leaving 1,658 injured.
The age-wise break-up of fatalities reveals that the 25-35 age group recorded the highest number of deaths at 40, followed by 29 in the 35-45 bracket and 28 between 45 and 60 years. Twenty-five victims were aged 18-25, while 12 were above 60. The age of 55 deceased persons could not be ascertained.
While the overall number of accidents has shown a declining trend — from 2,378 in 2022 to 1,109 in 2026 — the Ministry cautioned that this year’s data is “partial or subject to reporting through the e-DAR portal” and that “year-on-year comparisons should be read in that context.”
Fatalities, however, had risen sharply to 431 in 2025 before dropping to 206 this year.
Traffic experts and officials expressed concern over the 17 child deaths, pointing to inadequate safety infrastructure on highway stretches that pass through schools and residential clusters.
“Children are a highly vulnerable category in high-speed collisions. The absence of pedestrian underpasses, speed breakers, and proper signage near habitations continues to be a major risk factor,” said a senior traffic police officer, requesting anonymity.
The J&K traffic department has previously identified several black spots on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and other key stretches, but implementation of corrective measures remains slow, officials admitted.
Meanwhile, hospitals in J&K have initiated 472 claims under the Centre’s PM-RAHAT scheme — which provides cashless treatment to road accident victims — as of July 28, 2026. Of these, 51 were approved by the State Health Authority and 43 settled, according to the Ministry’s data.
Ladakh recorded 119 road accidents, 17 fatalities and 177 injuries on national highways in 2026. Under PM-RAHAT, 12 claims were initiated, all of which were approved and settled, with the amount paid shown as Rs 0.0 crore.
Across the country, 77,234 road accidents and 34,610 fatalities were recorded on national highways in 2026, while 60,224 people were injured.
Notably, The PM-RAHAT scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2026, under Section 162 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. It was notified on May 5, 2025, with detailed guidelines issued on June 4, 2025.
The Ministry said it has asked states and Union Territories to empanel more hospitals, particularly around accident hotspots, and ensure emergency care as required under local laws.
Nationally, hospitals had initiated 12,727 claims under PM-RAHAT by July 28, of which 9,601 were approved and 7,871 settled, with Rs 10.1 crore paid in claims.
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