Eight people, including six men and two women, were killed when the jeep they were travelling in met with an accident near Ghat in Pithoragarh on Sunday. Mahipal Singh, CO of Pithoragarh, was also reported to be among those who died in the road mishap.
The ill-fated vehicle was on its way from Haldwani to Dharchula in Pithoragarh. However, when it reached Matela Band on the Pithoragarh-Ghat-Almora Road it fell into a deep gorge, on Sunday afternoon.
Since this entire stretch comprising Pithoragarh and Almora districts is a hilly terrain, even a minor human error could lead to a dangerous mishap as it happened on Sunday.
Investigation is on to identify all the deceased persons. Pithoragarh police said Mahipal Singh was reported to be among those who died in the mishap. The road accident was so fatal that most of the passengers died on the spot. Only one person is reported to have survived the accident. He has been reported to be in the local Pithoragah hospital for further treatment.
The preliminary investigations have revealed, as the Pithoragarh police said, that a total of nine persons were travelling in the jeep.
Out of eight persons who died in this mishap, six are reported to be male and two females. One man has been reported to be admitted to local Pithoragarh hospital. All the dead bodies were recovered from the incident site by the Pithoragarh police and district administration with the help of the villagers.
Since the enforcement agencies concerned were busy in recovery of the dead bodies and giving necessary medical assistance to the injured person so the actual reason that led to this tragic mishap is yet to be known. The driver of the said vehicle was also reported to be killed.
However, as the preliminary investigations suggest, overtaking or over-speeding could be one of the reasons that led to the accident. The poor condition of the road coupled with a tough hilly terrain also may have contributed to the mishap. The mishap reportedly occurred around 2.30 pm.