The district administration, Pithoragarh has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the road accident in which eight people had died near Ghat in Pithoragarh on Sunday. Notably, eight persons, including two women, were killed when a jeep they were travelling in met with an accident at Matela Band near Ghat on the Pithoragarh-Ghat-Almora Road in Pithoragarh on Sunday. Mahipal Singh, CO Piathoragarh, was among those killed in the road mishap.
The SDM Pithorgarh would conduct a magisterial inquiry into the accident, said Shushil Kumar, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh. The SDM Pithoragarh has been directed to submit a detailed report, he added. It was a medium mode vehicle i.e. a max jeep with registered number UK 04 TA 4135 that was carrying nine persons. The ill-fated vehicle was on its way from Haldwani to Dharchula in Pithorgarh. However, when it reached near Matela Band on the Pithoragarh-Ghat-Almora Road it plunged into deep gorge around Sunday afternoon.
Only one person has survived. He has been admitted to a local Pithoragah hospital. The deceased were identified as Mahipal Singh(58), CO Pithoragrh, Dheeraj Singh(21) and Gaura Devi(50), both of Dharchula, Kamal Suyal, driver(25), a native of Bindukhatta, Nainital, Nandi Devi(50), a native of Bindukhatta, Nainital, Trilok Singh(45), Dharchula, Diwan Singh(44) of Kausani, and Mukesh Singh(15) of Dharchula.
The injured passenger is Jagdish Prajapati of Pithoragarh. However, the actual reason that led to the mishap would be ascertained only after the magisterial inquiry is over, said police.