Five devotees were killed and two remain missing after their Innova plunged into a gorge and landed in a river near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district.
Five devotees died and two remain unaccounted for after an Innova carrying seven people plunged into a gorge and fell into a river on the Gangotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district on Thursday.
Rescue teams have recovered five bodies so far. The accident occurred near Gangnani, roughly 20 metres past a hot spring on the road towards Dabrani.
The vehicle reportedly lost control and dropped into a deep gorge before landing in the river below. Those on board were travelling to Gangotri Dham, and initial information indicates that six passengers were from Gujarat while the seventh was the driver. The vehicle had left the Hina area earlier that morning.
Police, the State Disaster Response Force and emergency medical teams were dispatched to the site after authorities received word of the crash. Rescue personnel began searching the riverbank and surrounding areas, and the hunt for the two missing people was continuing.
District Disaster Management Officer Shardul Gusain said teams were deployed as soon as the accident was reported. “On receiving information that an Innova had fallen into the river near Gangnani, police, SDRF and emergency service teams were sent to the spot. Rescue operations are under way. Five bodies have so far been recovered from the riverbank, and a search is continuing for the other occupants,” he said.
Gusain added that the final count of those killed and missing would be confirmed once the operation concluded.
District Magistrate Prashant Arya directed the response teams to coordinate relief and rescue efforts. The crash drew a large emergency response as teams combed the river and the area around the site.
The precise cause of the accident was not immediately known. Officials had not confirmed the identities of those recovered by Thursday, and the search continued amid difficult conditions at the location.
The Gangotri National Highway serves as a key route for pilgrims heading to the Himalayan shrine. What had been a journey to the dham became a tragedy, with families waiting for confirmation about those still unaccounted for.
Authorities said the operation would carry on until the missing people were traced. The number of casualties and the circumstances of the crash are expected to be confirmed once the search and other formalities are complete.