Pick-up vehicle falls into gorge near Nainital, nine killed

Nainital (U'khand), Nov 17 (PTI) Nine people were killed after their pick-up vehicle fell into a gorge on the Chheerakhan-Reethasahib motor road in Uttarakhand's Nainital district early on Friday, police said.

The accident occurred around 8 am when the vehicle was on its way from Patlot to Amjad village. It fell into a 500-metre gorge, Senior Superintendent of Police (Nainital) Prahlad Narayan Meena said.

The vehicle fell into the gorge while trying to save a motorcycle approaching from the opposite direction, he said.

While six people died on the spot, three succumbed in hospital. A couple and their son were among those who died, Meena said.

Two people injured in the accident have been referred to a higher medical facility in Haldwani from a Community Health Centre in Okhalkanda, where they were admitted initially, the officer said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami condoled the loss of lives and prayed for a speedy recovery of the injured.

The accident was caused by the high number of passengers in the vehicle and the poor condition of the road, locals said.

Meena said there were 11 passengers in the pick-up vehicle at the time of the accident.

The victims have been identified as Dhani Devi (38), Tulsi Prasad (38), Rama Devi (30), Tarun Paneru (5), Devidutt (51), Naresh Paneru (26), Rajendra Paneru (5), Shivraj Singh (25) and Narendra Singh.

Hem Chandra Paneru (46) and Yogesh Paneru (9) have been referred to Sushila Tiwari Hospital in Haldwani.

Bhuvan Rana, the Khansyu police station in-charge, said besides the couple and their son, two brothers were also among the victims of the accident.

Following the accident, a large number of villagers reached the motor road and vented their anger over its condition. PTI COR ALM SZM