Dehradun, Dec. 18: Three women were killed and six others injured on Thursday after an SUV carrying pilgrims plunged into a deep gorge in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district, officials from the State Disaster Response Force said.
The accident occurred near Bhowali on the Bhowali–Almora National Highway as the group was travelling in a Scorpio vehicle from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh to the Kainchidham Ashram, the SDRF said.
Police and rescue teams were alerted around 9:45 a.m. and rushed to the scene, where they carried out rescue and relief operations with assistance from local residents. The injured were pulled out of the gorge and shifted to nearby hospitals, officials said.
All three victims were women from Bareilly. They were identified as Ganga Devi, 56; Brijesh Kumari, 26; and Nainasti Gangwar, 24, the SDRF said.
Among the injured are Brijesh Kumari’s husband, Rahul Patel, 35, and their seven-year-old son, Rishi, along with Ganga Devi’s daughter, Swati, 20. Three others — Akshay Singh, 20; Jyoti, 25; and Karan, 25 — also suffered injuries, officials said.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.
