8 killed, 2 injured as vehicle plunges into gorge in Uttarakhand
Eight people died and two others injured when a utility pickup vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a 300-metre-deep gorge near Chamba in Tehri district on Thursday, officials said.
The accident occurred around 2.15 pm near Nail village on the Chamba-Koti Colony Road.
The victims, all of them from Thyoldhar village in the Ghansali, were returning home from a funeral, when the driver lost control of the vehicle, Tehri District Magistrate Nitika Khandelwal said.
There were around 10 people onboard at the time of the accident. The accident was reported to the police via the Dial 112 emergency service, after which two ambulances and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the spot. The police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams recovered eight bodies and took the injured to a nearby hospital.
The victims were returning home after performing the last rites of 65-year-old Sampat Lal in Haridwar. The deceased were identified as Sampat Lal’s 36-year-old son, Prem Lal, and 35-year-old driver, Shiv Singh. Others were Asha Lal, 40, Vijay Lal, 36, Mahavir, 60, Sehat Lal, 65, and Laxman, 33. The identity of one more victim was not confirmed. The two injured are undergoing treatment at the Tehri District Hospital. Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Amit Rai stated their condition is out of danger.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the deaths and directed the district administration to ensure proper medical care for the injured. “Praying to God to grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense loss,” Dhami posted on X.
PM condoles deaths in Uttarakhand
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in an accident in Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Eight people were killed and two others injured after a pickup vehicle fell into a deep gorge in the Chamba area of the Tehri district. “The loss of lives due to an accident in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand is saddening. I extend my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this mishap.
