Nainital: A tempo traveller carrying tourists from Haryana fell into a deep gorge near Malla Ramgarh while travelling from Bhowali towards Mukteshwar, killing two people and injuring 20 others. The driver has been arrested in connection with the accident.
According to police, the tempo traveller was carrying 22 people when the accident occurred. The vehicle was travelling towards Mukteshwar and fell into a nearly 100-foot-deep gorge about one kilometre ahead of Lakshmikhan Tiraha in Malla Ramgarh.
The vehicle reportedly broke through a roadside parapet before falling into the gorge. Following the accident, cries for help were heard from inside the gorge, prompting local residents and rescue teams to reach the spot.
Bhowali police and SDRF teams launched a rescue operation after receiving information about the accident. With assistance from NDRF personnel and local residents, the injured passengers were pulled out of the gorge and taken to CHC Ramgarh for treatment.
Bhowali Circle Officer Ravikant Semwal confirmed that two people died in the accident. Fourteen injured passengers were referred to higher medical centres for further treatment.
One of the injured passengers, Tushar Yadav, a resident of Ballabhgarh in Faridabad, said most of the passengers were from Ballabhgarh and nearby areas. He alleged that the vehicle was being driven at high speed and that the driver lost control while negotiating a turn.
The deceased have been identified as 24-year-old Sumit Pal Singh, son of Kanak Pal Singh and a resident of Faridabad. The identity of the second deceased person had not been established at the time of the initial rescue operation.
The injured passengers include Manish Kumar, Nandini, Tushar Kumbnar, Lakshmi, Mayank, Pradeep Kumar, Ritika, Harsh Verma, Payal, Anand, Ajay, Anjali, 10-month-old Misty and driver Yash Kumar. Six others—Dharmendra, Dolly, Anjali, Dheeraj, Ankit and Sonia—sustained minor injuries.
Police said all the passengers were residents of Faridabad and Delhi. The exact cause of the accident is being investigated, while the arrested driver is being questioned as part of the probe.
