6 of family killed as car plunges into gorge in Uttarakhand

Six members of a family were killed and another injured after their car plunged into a deep gorge on the Devprayag-Pauri road in Uttarakhand's Pauri district on Friday, police said.

The accident occurred near the dumping zone in the Devprayag area. Police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel launched a rescue operation after receiving information about the mishap, the SDRF said.

The family, residents of the Laksar area in Haridwar district, was travelling in a Bolero when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to fall into the gorge. Seven people were travelling in the vehicle.

Six bodies, including those of a woman and a three-year-old girl, were recovered from the spot. A 16-year-old boy, Arham, who was found injured, was taken to hospital by local residents, the SDRF said.

The deceased were identified as Afzal (49), his brother Gufran (34), Afzal's wife Sabbu (40), daughter Anamia (3), and sons Aman (14) and Arman (20). Arham, the lone survivor, is also Afzal's son.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the accident and directed officials to ensure prompt treatment for the injured boy. He also asked authorities to airlift him to a higher medical centre if required.