A catastrophic accident claimed eight lives, including two schoolchildren, and left six others injured when a Maxx pickup vehicle plummeted 300 meters into a gorge near Suni Bridge in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district on Tuesday evening. The vehicle, carrying 14 passengers from Muwani to Bokta village, lost control approximately 52 kilometers from the district headquarters, police reported.
Pithoragarh Superintendent of Police Rekha Yadav confirmed the tragedy, stating, “A vehicle carrying 14 people met with an accident near Suni Bridge, resulting in eight deaths. Police and SDRF teams conducted immediate rescue operations.” The deceased, all Bokta village residents, included Simran (8), Tanuja (14), Vineeta (15), Narendra Singh (40, the driver), Rajan Singh (60), Hoshiyar Singh (65), Shanti Devi (50), and Diksha (26).
Local villagers joined police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel in a swift rescue effort, pulling the injured from the mangled wreckage for urgent treatment at the district hospital. Two of the six injured remain in critical condition.
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Preliminary investigations suggest driver negligence and vehicle overloading as possible causes, with District Magistrate Vinod Goswami noting the vehicle exceeded its capacity. Poor road conditions and high speed may have also contributed, though the exact cause is under investigation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences via X, announcing Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for each deceased’s family and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, calling the incident “heart-wrenching,” directed authorities to ensure free medical care and expedited relief efforts. The state government also pledged Rs 2 lakh per deceased family and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
The tragedy has reignited concerns about road safety in Uttarakhand’s hilly terrain, with calls for improved infrastructure and stricter vehicle checks to prevent future accidents.
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