A tragic road accident in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh has raised fears of eight fatalities, including seven tourists from Chhattisgarh. The accident occurred around midnight on May 29 on the Bairagarh-Sach Pass-Killar road in the Churah subdivision, when an Ertiga car carrying the tourists plunged into a deep gorge.

 

Since the accident, all occupants of the vehicle have been reported missing, and the chances of survival are said to be extremely low. Police and administrative teams are continuously carrying out search and rescue operations; however, the extremely difficult terrain is posing significant challenges to the efforts.

 

According to the police, seven members of two families from Chhattisgarh had come to Himachal Pradesh for tourism. They were staying at a hotel in Dalhousie and had set out for sightseeing towards Sach Pass on May 29. They were expected to return by evening, but when they failed to do so and could not be contacted, the hotel management informed the police, following which a search operation was launched.

 

During the search, it was discovered that their car (HP-01C-2133) had met with an accident and fallen into a deep gorge on the Bairagarh-Sach Pass-Killar road. The vehicle has been completely damaged.

 

The deceased are reported to include Arvind, his wife Prachi, their two sons Darsh and Apshad, P.G. Karthigeyan, his wife Manimala, and their son Nandan. In addition, the driver, Vishwas, a resident of the Dalhousie area, is also believed to have lost his life. A total of eight people were travelling in the vehicle.

 

Chamba Superintendent of Police Vijay Saklani stated that police and rescue teams were dispatched immediately after receiving the information. He added that the accident site is located in a highly inaccessible area, making it time-consuming to reach. He also informed that he himself has left for the site and that rescue and relief operations are underway.