Champawat: A joyous journey home after purchasing a new car ended in tragedy when a Tata Punch plunged into a deep gorge on the Pithoragarh National Highway and caught fire, killing two cousins and leaving a woman and two children seriously injured.
The accident occurred on Friday between Marodakhan and Bantoli in the Lohaghat area. According to officials, the vehicle lost control and fell nearly 300–350 metres into a gorge before catching fire, reportedly due to a short circuit.
The victims had purchased the new Tata Punch from Haldwani on June 4 and were travelling to their home in Pithoragarh when the accident took place.
Two Cousins Trapped Inside Burning Car
The deceased have been identified as Baldev Kumar (36), a CRPF personnel and resident of Bankodi in Kanalichhina, Pithoragarh, and Rajendra Kumar (48), a resident of Ajera, Charma, under Didihat police station in Pithoragarh district, who was driving the vehicle.
According to preliminary information, Neetu Devi (34), her eight-year-old daughter Akshita, and five-year-old son Aarav were thrown out of the vehicle as it tumbled into the gorge, while Baldev Kumar and Rajendra Kumar remained trapped inside.
The vehicle caught fire shortly after the fall, leaving both men unable to escape. They were burnt alive inside the car.
Woman and Two Children Undergoing Treatment
Local residents, along with the Lohaghat Police, launched a rescue operation and shifted the injured woman and the two children to the Sub-District Hospital in Lohaghat through a 108 ambulance. All three are undergoing treatment, and their condition is reported to be serious.
Police reached the spot, recovered the bodies after completing the necessary formalities, and sent them for post-mortem examination. The victims’ family members have been informed.
A preliminary investigation suggests that the vehicle went out of control before plunging into the gorge. Authorities have initiated an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the accident.
The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the area and has once again raised concerns over road safety on the hilly highways of Uttarakhand.
