From correspondents in Jammu and Kashmir, India, 09:32 PM IST

Three people, two pilgrims and a driver, were killed while six others were injured Monday in a road accident near Baltal base camp of the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.

'A Tata Sumo taxi returning with pilgrims from the Baltal base camp had a head on collision with a Santro car at Nilgrad near Sonamarg (Monday) afternoon,' a senior police officer told IANS.

The Sumo taxi rolled down into a deep gorge after it skidded from the main road, the officer said.

The two pilgrims killed were identified as Naresh Kumar from Jallandhar in Punjab and Drugjan Lakshman, a paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force official. The driver of the Sumo, Imtiyaz Ahmad, died on the spot, the police official claimed.

'The six people injured have been admitted to a hospital for treatment. All the injured are also reported to be pilgrims,' he added.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)