In Jammu and Kashmir, eighteen persons were killed and eighteen others injured in a road accident today. The accident occurred when a passenger vehicle in which they were travelling skidded off the road and fell in to a gorge in Madana area in the border district of Poonch. The vehicle was on its way to Mandi. The inured have been admitted to hospital and some of them are in a serious condition. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and announced an ex-gratia relief of 1 lakh rupees each for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives. The injured wil get 10,000 rupees.