As many as seven persons were killed after a vehicle plunged into a deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba. The accident occurred late Wednesday night around 2 am on the Masrund–Hamal road. According to initial reports, the vehicle lost control and plunged into a deep gorge, leaving it completely mangled in the impact.
The severity of the crash was such that the vehicle was reduced to wreckage, and all seven occupants died on the spot. The deceased include three women and three men, while authorities are still completing formal identification procedures.
Victims were returning from community ritual event
The ill-fated vehicle, a Bolero, belonged to residents of Mahal village under Gram Panchayat Kuthed. The group had attended a Mundan ceremony feast in Kakrodha village earlier in the evening and was returning home when the accident took place.
All passengers were travelling together after participating in the traditional community gathering when the vehicle reportedly went out of control on the hilly stretch of road.
Rescue operations amid darkness and difficult terrain
Following the accident, police, district administration officials, and local villagers rushed to the site to carry out rescue operations. Villagers reportedly descended into the deep gorge to retrieve the bodies.
However, the operation proved extremely challenging due to complete darkness and the difficult, rugged terrain. Emergency teams faced significant obstacles in reaching the crash site and recovering the victims.
Safety concerns raised over missing crash barriers
Local residents have raised serious concerns over the absence of crash barriers at the accident-prone stretch of road. They allege that proper safety infrastructure could have potentially prevented such a massive tragedy.
The incident has cast a deep pall of grief over the entire region, with the community mourning the loss of multiple lives in a single night. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Another fatal accident reported a day earlier in Chamba
In a separate incident just a day earlier, two people lost their lives in a road accident in Chamba district. The accident took place on NH-154A near the Banikhet–Chamba road, close to the Dam View Point. A car reportedly went out of control, fell from the upper road into a deep gorge, and further descended onto the Chohra Dam road below.
Despite prompt response from locals and authorities, both occupants were found dead inside the severely damaged vehicle. (Reported by Shubash Mahajan)
ALSO READ: Uttarakhand accident: Five killed after car falls into gorge near Kainchi Dham in Nainital
