Himachal Pradesh: 7 dead as vehicle plunges into ravine in Chamba

Seven people, including three women and four men, were killed after their vehicle plunged into a deep ravine in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district. The victims, all from the same family, were returning home after dining out, police said.

Seven people, including three women and four men, lost their lives after a vehicle lost control and plunged into a deep ravine on the Chamba-Masrund road in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district, police said on Thursday.

According to officials, the accident was reported in the morning, following which police teams rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation with the assistance of local residents.

Police confirm casualties

Speaking to reporters, Additional Superintendent of Police Dinesh Sharma said, "In the morning, information about an accident was received, prompting an immediate response from the police team with the assistance of local people. All bodies were rescued. 7 casualties were reported, including 3 women and 4 men, who have been sent for postmortem. Further investigation is ongoing."

Victims belonged to same family

Local residents also joined the rescue efforts and helped recover the bodies from the gorge before they were shifted to Chamba Hospital. Masrund Pradhan Ravi Kumar, a local resident, said, "Local residents arrived at the scene and helped rescue the bodies, which were then transported to Chamba Hospital. The victims, comprising 3 women and 4 men, all belonged to the same family from Kuthed. They had returned late at night after dining out when the accident occurred."

Police said further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident is underway.

Chief Minister expresses grief

Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also expressed grief over the death of seven persons in a road accident near Chhatrund on the Masrund-Hamal road in the Chamba district.

Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, the Chief Minister said that the state government stands firmly with them in this hour of grief.

He directed the district administration to provide all possible assistance to the affected families.

He prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)