Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 10 : Four individuals lost their lives on Wednesday after their car plummeted into a deep gorge in the Jharipani area on Mussoorie Road. Upon receiving information about the incident, the police, the Fire Service, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) immediately rushed to the spot and launched a joint rescue operation.
Acting on information received from the Dehradun District Control Room (DCR), an SDRF team from Post Sahastradhara, led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Manoj Joshi, reached the accident site.
According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), rescue and recovery operations are being carried out in extremely challenging terrain and steep slopes. According to preliminary information provided by the police, all four occupants of the vehicle died at the scene.
Joint rescue efforts by the Police, SDRF, and other agencies are currently underway.
Teams are currently engaged in retrieving the bodies from the deep gorge and bringing them up to the roadside, following which the police will carry out the necessary legal formalities, SDRF said.
Earlier this week, in a separate incident, a local bus travelling toward Rishikesh overturned near the Kaudiyala area in Uttarakhand. Authorities confirmed that the majority of the 39 passengers on board escaped without serious harm, with only eight individuals suffering minor injuries.
Tehri Garhwal District Disaster Management Officer, Brijesh Bhatt, informed ANI that a bus overturned on the road near Kaudiyala. Eight people sustained minor injuries in the accident. Revenue, police, 108 ambulance, and SDRF teams reached the spot.
"The local bus was heading towards Rishikesh and was carrying 39 passengers at the time of the incident. Eight passengers suffered minor injuries, while all others are safe. Preliminary information suggests that the accident may have occurred due to brake failure," the District Disaster Management Officer said.
In a separate incident, earlier in June, one person was killed, and several others were injured after a bus carrying pilgrims overturned after being hit by a dumper truck from behind near Shantikunj in Haridwar, officials said.
The incident occurred as the pilgrims were returning after taking a holy dip in the Ganges.
Speaking about the accident to ANI, Shishupal Singh Negi, CO City, Haridwar, said, "A report came in the morning from the Control Room regarding a bus--specifically a double-decker--bearing an 'AP' (Andhra Pradesh) registration number, but the owner was based in Rajasthan, hailing from Nagaur. The bus was carrying pilgrims who had arrived as part of a convoy of three buses."
Negi further informed that the impact of the collision caused the bus to overturn, prompting an immediate rescue response.
SDM Yogesh Mehra stated that 26 injured individuals are currently receiving medical attention.