At least 10 people were killed when a tempo traveller carrying 23 passengers plunged into a gorge in Uttarakhand on Saturday, officials reported. The tragic accident occurred on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway near Raitoli in the Rudraprayag district.
The minibus fell into the Alaknanda River, prompting a swift response from the State Disaster Response Force and local police, who are currently conducting rescue operations.
In addition to the passengers, several bystanders on the roadside sustained injuries from the incident, according to sources.
जनपद रुद्रप्रयाग में टेम्पो ट्रैवलर के दुर्घटनाग्रस्त होने का अत्यंत पीड़ादायक समाचार प्राप्त हुआ। स्थानीय प्रशासन व SDRF की टीमें राहत एवं बचाव कार्यों में जुटी हुई है। घायलों को नज़दीकी चिकित्सा केंद्र पर उपचार हेतु भेज दिया गया है। ज़िलाधिकारी को घटना की जाँच के आदेश दे दिए…
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) June 15, 2024
Describing the incident as “very sad news,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the district magistrate has been instructed to investigate the cause of the accident.
“I pray to God to grant the souls of the departed a place in his feet and provide strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense pain. I pray to Baba Kedar for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he expressed in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, in Hindi.
Officials confirmed that the injured are being airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh for medical treatment.
