Twelve people, including two children, are feared dead when a vehicle carrying them plunged into Bhagirathi River near Bhatwadi in Uttarkashi district and are believed to be swept away on Sunday evening. A massive rescue operation was launched on early Monday morning but no trace of the ill-fated vehicle and its passengers was found.
On the request of administration Army and personnel of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Force also assisted the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police, fire brigade and local people in a massive hunt for the accident victims. However a heavy downpour in the afternoon hampered the rescue operation after which the operation had to be stopped.
The Uttarkashi district Superintendent of Police (SP), Gagan Pal told The Pioneer that rescue operation would resume on Tuesday morning. He accepted that the operation so far has failed in its effort to trace the vehicle and victims.
Incidentally all the passengers of the ill fated vehicle belonged to Athali village of Bhatwadi block of Uttarkashi. The villagers were going to Gangotri after visiting Yamunotri in a multi-utility vehicle (Bolero).
The villagers were also carrying palanquin of local deity (Dev Doli) with them. The driver of the vehicle reportedly lost control of the vehicle near Sungar on Gangotri highway and it plunged straight into the swirling waters of the Bhagirathi River.
The villagers informed that 12 people were on board the vehicle when it met with the accident. The general secretary of students of union of DBS College, Dehradun, Pravesh Parmar was also one of the passengers.