Nainital: Eight people, including seven Nepalese labourers, were killed after their car plunged into a gorge in Betalghat area of Uttarakhand's Nainital district, police said on Tuesday.
The vehicle carrying nine Nepalese was heading towards Ramnagar when it suddenly fell into a 200-foot-deep gorge in Unchakot area of Betalghat development block on Monday night. Seven of the passengers and the driver succumbed to their injuries on the spot while two other Nepalese were seriously injured.
The incident occurred at a remote area following which, the rescue operation became quite challenging. The State Disaster Response Team (SDRF) and police reached the spot after getting information about the accident. Eight bodies were retrieved and sent for post-mortem while the two injured were rushed to the hospital.
According to a senior police official, the inaccessibility of the area and darkness made the rescue operation very difficult. All bodies were fetched out from the gorge after a lot of effort, he said.
The Nepalese labourers were engaged in the Jal Jeevan Mission that is currently being undertaken in the rural Unchakot area of Mallagaon in Betalghat of the district.
Police said a group of nine labourers along with the driver had left for Ramnagar, from where they were scheduled to go to their hometown in Nepal. "According to preliminary investigation, when the vehicle crossed the village, the driver lost control and plunged into a 200-foot-deep gorge. Investigations are on and the injured are undergoing treatment," the official said.
