Four people were killed and nine others injured after a vehicle carrying the body of a villager plunged into a gorge near Gatlog in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district late Tuesday night, police said on Wednesday. The passengers were returning from a hospital after collecting the body of Jagdish Sharma, who had been declared dead at Sangrah hospital following a heart attack. According to police, family members and other villagers had travelled to Sangrah hospital after Sharma died and were bringing his body back to their village.

The vehicle was returning late at night when the accident occurred near Gatlog. It veered off the road and fell into a gorge, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries among those travelling in it. The four people killed in the accident were identified as Rajendra, 37, and Des Raj, 23, both residents of Arlu village, and Rikhi Ram, 58, and Ram Gopal, 62, both from Chinad village in Sirmaur district. The victims were among the villagers travelling in the vehicle along with the body.

Nine other people sustained injuries in the crash and were taken for medical treatment. The injured were subsequently referred to the Medical College in Nahan for further care. Four of those injured were reported to be in critical condition, making the toll from the accident potentially subject to change depending on their medical condition. The accident prompted a rescue and response operation in the area, with authorities working to recover the victims and assist those who survived the crash.

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Police have begun investigating the circumstances that led to the vehicle plunging into the gorge. Further details regarding the exact cause of the accident were not immediately available. The incident has caused grief among the families and villages connected to those travelling in the vehicle. The passengers had been returning from the hospital after an already difficult journey following Sharma’s death, when the road accident resulted in further loss of life.

Road accidents involving vehicles falling into deep gorges remain a serious concern in the hilly terrain of Himachal Pradesh, where narrow and winding roads can make night-time travel particularly challenging. However, authorities have not yet attributed the latest crash to any specific factor, and the circumstances leading to the vehicle leaving the road are still being established. Police are continuing to gather details about the accident and the condition of the injured. The deceased are expected to be handed over to their families following the required procedures, while those injured remain under medical supervision at Nahan. The investigation will determine the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash near Gatlog.

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