Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand): At least nine persons were killed and two others seriously injured, after the car they were traveling in, fell into a 600-meter gorge on Thursday morning, police said. The mishap was confirmed by Inspector General Kumaon Nilesh Bharne.
According to Bharne, the mishap occurred at the Munisyari block of the Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand. Pithoragarh District Magistrate Rina Joshi said that a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team was dispatched to the accident spot along with local police officials.
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Didihat Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Anil Kumar Shukla said that the accident occurred at around 7.30 am when the pilgrims from Sama village in Bageshwar district were on their way to Kokila Devi temple in Hokra.
"When the car reached the supply warehouse, the driver lost control of the speeding car and it fell into the gorge," local police officials added. Locals said that heavy rains last night had muddied the road and hence was becoming difficult for the drivers. A resident of Hokra village Sundar Singh said that the debris had accumulated on the road due to heavy rains last night and hence the drivers were facing a tough time.
According to local police officials, the ditch in which the car fell was in a very remote area. "The SDRF team faced a lot of difficulty in the rescue operation. An ambulance was also sent from Ascot to take the injured to a nearby hospital," they added.
Police said more details including the identity of the deceased will be shared once the dead bodies are recovered. "After the post-mortem, the bodies will be handed over to the kin of those killed. We will register a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code," a police official added. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in a Tweet in Hindi has expressed grief over this accident.
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