Dehradun: Four people lost their lives after a car reportedly went out of control and plunged nearly 500 metres into a deep gorge in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie on Wednesday morning, prompting a massive rescue operation involving multiple emergency agencies.
The fatal accident took place on the Jharipani-Kolukhet shortcut road at around 9 a.m., officials said. Teams from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, fire services, and medical personnel were immediately deployed to the site, with rescue efforts being carried out on a war footing.
According to officials, the Mussoorie police station received information through the police control room (112) at 9.16 a.m. regarding a vehicle that had fallen into a deep gorge along Jharipani Road. Following the alert, personnel from the Mussoorie police, SDRF, the fire department, and the 108 ambulance service rushed to the accident site without delay.
Eyewitnesses told authorities that the car had briefly stopped at a roadside shop before the accident. The occupants reportedly informed the shopkeeper that they were travelling from Uttarkashi. After purchasing some items and returning to the vehicle, the situation took a tragic turn.
According to eyewitness accounts, moments after the passengers got back into the car, it suddenly started rolling down the steep slope at high speed.
The driver was unable to regain control of the vehicle, which veered off the roadway, crossed a vacant stretch of land, and eventually plunged into the deep gorge.
During the course of the rescue operation, police identified the four occupants of the vehicle as Satyaprakash, a resident of Haryana’s Sonipat; Manit, aged 19; Savita, 48, wife of Dharmveer and a resident of Nehru Nagar in Ghaziabad; and Sangeeta, 46, wife of Titu and a resident of Karol Bagh in Delhi.
Rescue teams faced considerable difficulties in reaching the wreckage because of the extreme depth of the gorge and the presence of dense vegetation and thick undergrowth. Officials said the challenging terrain significantly slowed the rescue process and required sustained efforts by emergency personnel.
After several hours of intensive rescue work, teams managed to recover the body of one woman from the gorge. Subsequent search operations led to the recovery of the remaining victims, confirming that all four occupants had died in the accident.
Preliminary findings indicate that brake failure may have caused the vehicle to lose control while descending the steep stretch of road, ultimately resulting in the fall into the gorge.
However, officials stressed that the exact cause of the accident would be determined only after a thorough investigation, and all possible angles are being examined.
Given the seriousness of the incident, senior police officials, including the Mussoorie Circle Officer and the Superintendent of Police (City), Dehradun, reached the site to supervise the rescue and recovery efforts and assess the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Authorities have informed the families of the deceased about the tragedy, and relatives have begun travelling to Mussoorie. Necessary legal procedures are being carried out, while the bodies are being processed for further formalities.
(IANS)
