Bus driver Vijay Kumar and conductor Arun Kumar were killed in the Reasi, Jammu attack
In an update of the Reasi attack case, on Monday, Jammu police released the names of the victims, including the bus driver, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, the owner of the private bus attacked by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi on Tuesday urged that the driver and teenage conductor, among nine victims of the attack, be declared ‘martyrs.’
Who is bus driver Vijay Kumar killed in Reasi, Jammu terrorist attack, death reason, biography, age, family and wife
It was the bravery of Driver Vijay Kumar who didn’t stop the bus otherwise casualties would have been manifold.
A big salute to this great son of India.
Jai Hind 🇮🇳🫡#ReasiTerrorAttack #Kashmir #Jammu pic.twitter.com/C9JdYpT7PB— Brigadier Hardeep Singh Sohi,Shaurya Chakra (R) (@Hardisohi) June 11, 2024
For the unfamiliar, as per police officials, 9 people were killed and 33 injured after a group of suspected militants opened fire on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir.
What Did the Police Say?
Initially, the authorities reported 10 fatalities after the incident took place on Sunday, but later they revised the number.
The police officials explained during a briefing that the bus driver lost control following the attack, causing it to plunge into a gorge in Jammu’s Reasi district.
Although rescue operations have ended, the Indian army and police are searching to locate the attackers.
The bus was en route to the base camp of the well-known Hindu shrine Mata Vaishno Devi when it was targeted.
News of the attack emerged as PM Narendra Modi was being sworn in for his third consecutive term as India’s Prime Minister in Delhi.
Identity of the Bus Driver
The driver, Vijay Kumar, 40, and the 19-year-old bus conductor, Arun Kumar, were locals. The 53-seater bus, carrying passengers from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi, was traveling from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra.
Among the victims were two children, aged 2 and 14. Some survivors shared their experiences with media outlets.
One recounted that the driver had been shot and that the firing continued even after the bus had fallen into the gorge. Forty-one other passengers were injured in the attack.
Hero 😔🧡 #AlleyesonReasi pic.twitter.com/Z0yyqEDBgX
— Er K🚶 (@BekaarAaadmi) June 11, 2024
What Did the Bus Owner Say?
Earlier, while speaking with media, bus owner, Sujan Singh said that “Vijay was like family to me, gentle and always smiling.
“He had worked with me for about six years, and I believe he deliberately plunged the vehicle into the gorge instead of stopping on the road to prevent the terrorists from killing all the occupants.”
Officials and eyewitnesses reported that the driver was the first to be hit by a bullet. “Vijay’s father, Rattan Lal, died over six months ago. He has two small children, and there is nobody else to look after them,” Singh added.
Singh also mentioned that conductor Arun had joined the transport company only a few days before the June 9 attack. He was the only brother to two sisters in a poor family.
The Jammu and Kashmir govt. has announced an ex gratia relief of ₹10 lakh each to the next of kin of the victims and ₹50,000 to each injured.
It was a head shot that took 41 years old Vijay Kumar’s life. He was driving the bus full of Hindu devotees and lost control when the bullet stuck him, resulting in the bus falling into the gorge.
According to survivor accounts the coward terrorists kept firing even after the… pic.twitter.com/rDGPIGEzfp— Manu Khajuria 🇮🇳 (@KhajuriaManu) June 10, 2024