Landslide throws vehicle into gorge killing 13 people
DEHRADUN : At least 13 people were killed and two were seriously injured when a 22-seater passenger vehicle fell into a 200metre gorge after been hit by landslide on Gangotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district on Monday.
Thirteen people died on the spot while two survivors were rushed to nearby hospital where they are undergoing treatment, informed officials.
Officials of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said the incident happened at around 2pm when the vehicle carrying 15 passengers, was coming from Gangotri to Uttarkashi when it got hit by boulders rolling down the hills due to a landslide near Sanglai area.
In the impact, the vehicle fell into a 200-metre gorge, they said.
“Thirteen passengers, including 10 men and three women, died on the spot. Their bodies were recovered from the spot by the rescue team comprising SDRF team members and local police,” said SDRF official at Dehradun command centre, Praveen Alok.
“Two of the passengers, both 13-year-old girls, identified as Meenakshi and Radhika, survived by sustaining serious injuries as they fell off vehicle before it went down in the gorge. They were rushed to nearby hospitals and are undergoing treatment,” Alok added.
Both the girls were residents of Bhakoli village of Bhatwadi. The officials are yet to release official information about the deceased persons. “A combing operation is going on by the rescue team in the area to check if there is any more casualty or survivor.”
The villagers, mainly from Uttarkashi district, were returning with a traditional Naag (Snake) Doli (Palanquin) when the accident occurred.
District magistrate of Uttarkashi, Ashish Chuahan, rushed to the spot. However, he couldn’t be contacted due to network problems in the area.
On August 28, a bus fell into a gorge in Tehri Garhwal claiming two lives while 34 other passengers were injured. On August 25, a vehicle carrying 12 passengers fell into gorge in which two people died. The vehicle was coming from Uttarkashi and was slated to reach Chamba.
The worst accident was reported on July 2 when a bus fell into a gorge in Pauri district killing 48 passengers.