Eight people lost their lives and two others were injured on Thursday after a utility pickup vehicle plunged into a deep gorge in the Chamba area of Tehri district, officials said.
The victims, all residents of Thyoldhar village in Ghansali, were returning home after attending the last rites of a villager in Haridwar when the driver reportedly lost control of the Bolero Camper, Tehri District Magistrate Nitika Khandelwal said.
Nearly, 10 people were travelling in the vehicle at the time of the accident. Rescue teams recovered eight bodies from the gorge and shifted the injured persons to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the tragedy and directed the district administration to ensure prompt and proper medical care for the injured. “I pray to God to grant the departed souls a place at His feet and give the bereaved families the strength to bear this immense loss,” Dhami said in a post on X. Dhami also instructed officials to closely monitor treatment of the injured and wished them a speedy recovery.
Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police and the fire service carried out rescue operations and managed to pull out two survivors from the wreckage.
A senior official said the vehicle was carrying about nine to ten passengers and rescue operations were continued to ensure no one remained trapped.
The accident was reported through the Dial 112 emergency service, following which two ambulances along with police and rescue teams were immediately rushed to the spot.
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