PMO deputy secy's brother, 3 others killed as vehicle overturns after hitting tree in Rishikesh

A vehicle carrying 10 forest department employees met with a major accident in Rishikesh this evening. The forest range officer, who was also the brother of a deputy secretary of the PMO, and three other employees died while two have gone missing after falling into the nearby waterbody. The remaining four are undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Rishikesh.

Rishikesh (Uttarakhand):At least four forest department employees including the range officer, who is the brother of a deputy secretary of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) died after the vehicle they were travelling in hit a tree and overturned in Rishikesh area of Uttarakhand's Dehradun district on Monday evening, police said.

Four other employees and the driver suffered severe injuries and two others went missing after falling into Cheela waterbody in Shakti Nagar. A team of divers have been pressed into service to rescue the missing persons but no one could be traced till last reports came in.

A vehicle carrying 10 forest department employees was heading towards Rishikesh when the mishap occurred near Cheela area near Rishikesh. However, three of the employees died on the spot and the fourth succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

Among the deceased includes forest range officer, Shailesh Ghidiyal, who is brother of Mangesh Ghidiyal, deputy secretary of the PMO. Two of the other deceased have been identified as forest officer Pramod Dhyani and Saif Ali Khan alias Saifi. Four injured employees are currently admitted at AIIMS, Rishikesh for treatment.

It has been learnt that a team of divers has been engaged in the search operation to find the two missing employees. It is yet to be ascertained as to how the accident occurred, police sources said.

On receiving information about the mishap, teams from the local police station and the forest department reached the spot. An investigation has been initiated, sources added.

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