'The tulips waited, but the laughter never arrived': Kupwara college picnic turns into funeral after bus accident

April 12, 2025 by News Desk

Rayees Shah

At 7:20 a.m. on Saturday, a group of excited students from Degree College Sogam, Kupwara, boarded buses in the north Kashmir area for their long-awaited excursion to the famous Tulip Garden in Srinagar. It was to be their first trip of the year—and for many, including 20-year-old Tahira Rashid, their first time seeing the blooming tulips in real life.

Asiya, a resident of Kalaroos Kupwara, was bubbling with joy. She had carefully laid out her outfit the night before, packed snacks, and had a teasing exchange with her mother before leaving. “I will not eat anything that you cooked for me. I’ll eat only Tulip Garden food,” she joked as she hugged her mother. “Don’t wait for me,” she said refusing breakfast at home.

By 8:15 a.m., Asiya was dead.

The bus carrying the students overturned on a sharp turn in the Wadpora area of Handwara, injuring 18 others. Another student, Maimoona, 21 from Sogam, succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. The rest are recovering—some at GMC Handwara, and one student in critical condition was shifted to SMHS, Srinagar.

Asiya, a fourth-semester undergraduate student, had never been to the Tulip Garden before. According to her cousin, who spoke to The Kashmiriyat, “She kept talking about how excited she was. Yesterday, she charged her phone twice and picked out a perfume. She told her younger sister, ‘I’ll make my WhatsApp DP from there.’”

Back in her village, Asiya’s mother, Rashida Begum, sat in stunned silence, cradling her daughter’s bag in her lap. “She left laughing,” she said through tears. “I begged her to eat something before she left. But she said, ‘I’m too happy to eat. I want to eat something new today, from Srinagar only.’ I didn’t know those were her last words to me.”

According to eyewitnesses and residents, the bus was descending a narrow curve near Wadpora when it suddenly veered off course, skidding on the slope and overturning. Several students were thrown out of their seats, and the bus landed on its side, partially crushing students seated near the windows. Shabir Ahmad, who owns an orchard nearby, heard the noise. “It was a deafening crash, like metal hitting stone,” he told The Kashmiriyat. “We rushed to the road and saw the bus overturned. Girls were crying, screaming. Some were trying to crawl out through the broken windows.”

Another local, Zubair Lone, said, “We broke open the rear door with rods. Two girls were unconscious. One of them was Asiya—I recognised her from her ID card.”

The injured were rushed to Government Medical College Handwara, with the help of locals and police.

Inside the Bus: Students Recall Horror

In the chaos, students recall the last moments before the bus flipped.

“We were passing Wadpora. It’s a risky road with a sharp turn,” said Shazia Bano, a classmate of Asiya’s. “We were singing and talking. Asiya had just opened a packet of chips and was passing it around. She was sitting to my left, teasing me about how many selfies I’d take.”

“Suddenly, we heard a scream from the front. Then a loud bang. I remember being thrown into the aisle. The next moment, there was blood, glass, and silence,” Shazia said.

Another student, Mariya Jan, said, “Some students were complaining earlier about how fast the driver was going. The road was bumpy, and it felt like we were swaying. But we were all distracted—Asiya especially was loud, cracking jokes. The accident happened so suddenly… we didn’t even have time to scream.”

Dr. Aijaz Ahmad, Medical Superintendent at GMC Handwara, confirmed to The Kashmiriyat that 19 students were brought in. “Two were in critical condition—one died at the hospital (Maimoona), and the other was referred to SMHS Srinagar for advanced care. The remaining are being treated for fractures, head injuries, and trauma,” he said.

“We have deployed additional staff and counsellors. Many of the girls are still in shock—they don’t know their friend is dead,” he said, adding, “It is heartbreaking. Some of these girls were only mildly injured but wouldn’t let go of each other’s hands. They kept asking for Asiya and Maimona.”

Back in Kalaroos, the news spread quickly. Villagers gathered at Asiya’s home, many still in disbelief. “She was a bright girl, always top of her class,” said her uncle, Abdul Majid. “She wanted to become a teacher and open a school in our village. Her dream was to make education accessible for girls here.”

At Maimoona’s home in Cheepora, silence hung heavy. Her father, Mushtaq Ahmad, stood at the gate, his eyes fixed on the mountains. “She asked me to buy her a new dress for the tulip garden. She said she’d pose like film stars. Now I have only her broken phone and a picture of her with her friends.”

Government Response and Political Condolences

The Office of the Chief Minister, posted on X, ““The loss of young Tabasum Mushtaq, a promising student from GDC Sogam, in the tragic accident near Handwara is a tragedy that weighs heavily on all of us. My deepest condolences to her family in this hour of grief. Prayers for the swift recovery of the injured. We are closely monitoring the situation and ensuring all necessary assistance.”

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also expressed her grief, “Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a young student in the bus accident at Handwara. My heartfelt condolences to her grieving parents. May Allah grant them strength and patience during this unimaginably difficult time. Praying for the swift and complete recovery of the injured students.”

Sajad Gani Lone, president of the Peoples Conference, added, “A bus carrying students met with an accident near Vodhpora. Many students are injured and some grievously. Some are being treated at Handwara GMC, while others have been referred to Srinagar. My prayers and hope that the students recover fast.”

Questions are now being raised about the safety protocols of such excursions. “It is deeply concerning that the students had to hire a bus from Handwara because their college lacks transport facilities,” said a teacher from GDC Sogam, who wished not to be named. “The road through Wadpora is known to be treacherous. Why wasn’t an experienced driver assigned?”

SDM Handwara, Dr. Mudasir Ahmad, said an inquiry has been initiated. “We are collecting CCTV footage, driver records, and maintenance logs. Meanwhile, all help—medical and financial—is being extended to the affected students and families.”

Classes in GDC Sogam will remain suspended for two days. Teachers plan to hold a special remembrance prayer for the two students whose laughter was silenced before it reached the flowers they so desperately wanted to see.