Eight people were reported to have died and at least five were seriously injured after the utility vehicle they were travelling in fell off the road, down a 200 metre deep ravine in Champawat distict on Sunday morning. The governor Baby Rani Maurya, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Vidhan Sabha speaker and Rishikesh MLA Prem Chand Agrawal have expressed grief at the mishap.

Kheema Devi, the wife of Sher Singh, a resident of Mirtoli village in Barakot had expired on Saturday. For her last rites, about 20 persons were travelling in a pick-up vehicle to Rameshwar ghat. According to information provided by the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) the driver of the vehicle is believed to have lost control of the vehicle near Mirtoli leesa (pine resin) depot on national highway number nine. The vehicle fell off the road down the mountainside about 200 metres. Of the 20 persons known to be travelling in the ill-fated vehicle, six were reported to have died on the spot, two died during treatment, five sustained serious injuries while seven others were injured. On receiving information about the mishap, the Champawat district magistrate, superintendent of police, additional district magistrate, district disaster management officer, personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and others reached the site of the mishap. The personnel began the rescue operation on reaching the site though it took some time to reach and debris, rescue the injured and recover the bodies due to the steep incline of the mountainside down which the vehicle had fallen. The injured were admitted to the community health centre in Lohaghat for treatment while those who had sustained critical injuries were being transported by helicopter to the government medical college hospital in Haldwani. One of those travelling in the vehicle- 40 year old Ganesh Singh said that he jumped as soon as the vehicle started to fall off the road. This was the reason why he could save his life. It was Singh who relayed information about the mishap to others. Of the eight people reported to have died in the mishap, six died on the spot while two died while undergoing treatment at the community health centre in Lohaghat. Apart from the officials and personnel from various departments involved in the rescue operation, Union minister of State, Ajay Tamta, MLA Puran Fartyal and others also reached the site.