English
English
English
8 Killed as car plunges into deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh
Shimla: A devastating road accident in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district has claimed the lives of eight people, including seven tourists and a taxi driver, after their vehicle plunged nearly 500 metres into a deep gorge on the Bairagarh, Sach Pass, Killar road in the Churah subdivision.
Officials said the remote location and lack of mobile network delayed discovery of the tragedy.
According to Chamba Superintendent of Police Vijay Saklani, three bodies have been recovered so far, while efforts are ongoing to retrieve the remaining victims from the steep and inaccessible terrain. The rescue operation resumed on Sunday with police personnel and local residents working together, using ropes to navigate the difficult landscape.
The ill-fated vehicle was carrying members of two families, one from Bengaluru and another from Chhattisgarh, along with the local taxi driver.
The group had reportedly travelled to Dalhousie and then proceeded towards the snow-covered Sach Pass, a high-altitude route known for its dangerous and unpredictable conditions.
Local MLA Hans Raj confirmed that the recovery operation is facing significant challenges due to adverse weather and the rugged terrain of the accident site.
Preliminary reports suggest that the vehicle was last tracked via GPS near the Kalawan area, where it appeared to have stopped abruptly, prompting a search operation that eventually led to the discovery of the crash site.
The victims have been identified as members of the Chandrakar and Karthikeyan families, along with taxi driver Vishwas, a resident of Chamba.
Authorities continue to investigate the exact cause of the accident.
