Eleven people are killed when a vehicle falls into a gorge in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district
A passenger vehicle fell into a deep gorge in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday, killing eleven and injuring three.
A Tata Sumo carrying 16 passengers fell into a gorge at Urgam in the Joshimath area of the Chamoli district at around 4 PM.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre in Dehradun, passengers were travelling from Joshimath to Palla Jakhol village when the accident occurred.
In the nick of time, two of the vehicle’s occupants jumped out, according to the SP.
A team of police officers and members of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been dispatched to the scene, and rescue operations are underway.
Eyewitnesses told PTI over the phone that getting to the spot where the remains of the vehicle lie are difficult due to the gorge’s depth, approximately 300 metres.
Several occupants were also sitting on the vehicle’s roof due to an overloaded vehicle.
As a mark of condolence, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next of kin of those killed in the accident.
In a phone conversation with District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana, he requested expediting rescue efforts. Dhami further requested the DM to ensure that the injured were provided with free medical treatment.
© The Deccan Era (P) Ltd
