UTTAKARKASHI: In a tragic accident on the Gangotri National Highway, four people lost their lives and three others sustained injuries after the utility vehicle they were traveling in plunged approximately 200 feet into the Bhagirathi River on Thursday.
According to the Uttarakhand Police and district disaster management authorities, the incident occurred near Gangnani in the Uttarkashi district. The victims were part of a group of tourists and pilgrims hailing from the state of Gujarat, heading towards the Himalayan shrine.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver of the Innova vehicle lost control of the automobile on a sharp bend along the highway, causing it to skid off the road and fall deep down the steep gorge into the rushing waters of the Bhagirathi River.
Local police, alongside joint rescue teams comprising the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), rushed to the site immediately following the alert. Rescue personnel successfully pulled four bodies from the wreckage and the river.
At least three individuals, including a teenager, sustained serious injuries and were promptly evacuated to a nearby medical facility for emergency treatment.
Authorities confirmed that search and rescue operations along the treacherous riverbanks remain active to account for any remaining unaccounted individuals.
District officials have expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families and assured that administrative assistance is being coordinated to aid the injured and facilitate the repatriation of the deceased.
