CHAMBA: In a tragic incident, a portion of road collapse on Chamba-Teesa-Pangi Road today morning and swept away seven people- six Policemen and  a  local- who were traveling in a Bolero in  Chamba district. There were 11 on board including seven policemen. 

As many as six police personnel of 2nd IRBn deployed at Chamba Border area lost their lives in the line of duty.

DGP Sanjay Kundu has constituted a three-member board of Inquiry (B.o.I) under the chairmanship of Sh. Abhishek Dullar, IPS, DIG-NR, Dharmashala to find out the actual cause of the incident.

B.o.I has also been directed to elaborate upon the necessary steps/suggestions to mitigate such incidents in future. 

According to officials, six policemen and a local were confirmed to be dead in the mishap while five others sustained injuries. The Injured were under treatment in government hospital. 

The ill-fated vehicle was on its way from Bairagarh to Tissa when it fell into the Siul River near the Tarwai bridge. 

According to the local MLA, the entire portion of the hill road  collapsed and plunged their Bolero vehicle into the deep gorge of the river.   

The bodies are yet to be recovered from the river which was in spate. Efforts are on to trace the illfated passengers. 

The incident has brought to light alleged negligence on the part of government and PWD officials, causing outrage among people, MLA alleged. 

But the PWD claimed that they restored the road, like other roads as per demand of the residents.  

Hansraj, BJP State Vice President and MLA, expressed deep concern over the tragedy and accused the government and PWD of failing to address safety concerns.

He claimed that despite persistent appeals to close the road due to unstable conditions, the government had chosen to ignore the warnings and reopened it, leading to this tragedy.

"The mountain was continuously falling, the public was watching but the government did not take any action," Hansraj asserted, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

He demanded immediate legal action against PWD officers, holding it responsible for the tragedy due to alleged negligence.

The BJP has called for a thorough investigation into the incident, urging the government to establish a high-level inquiry committee to ascertain the sequence of events and ensure accountability.

SHIMLA: Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has expressed grief over a road accident near Tarwai Bridge, where a vehicle fell into the Siul River carrying 11 persons, including 9 police personnel.