"Saddened by the loss of lives of #Amarnath Yatris in a bus accident in J&K. Deepest condolences to the bereaved families," Jaitley tweeted.
Sixteen Amarnath pilgrims were killed and around 27 injured, 19 of them critically, when a bus today skidded off the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and rolled into a deep nullah.
The bus skidded off the road, turned turtle, and rolled down into the nullah at the Nachlana belt of Ramban late this afternoon, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ramban, Mohan Lal said.
The J&K State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) bus was part of a convoy carrying 3,603 pilgrims from Jammu to the twin base-camps of Baltal and Pahalgam enroute the cave shrine of Amarnath in South Kashmir Himalayas, police officials said.