New Delhi, April 12: In a heartbreaking incident near Devprayag, Uttarakhand, a car carrying a family from Haridwar plunged into a 300-metre-deep gorge and sank into the Alaknanda River near the Badshah Hotel area on Saturday.
The vehicle, a Thar SUV, was en route to the revered Dhari Devi temple when the tragedy occurred. One woman was rescued from the scene, while five other occupants of the car, including two children, are feared dead.
According to initial reports, the victims belonged to a family from Roorkee in Haridwar district. The lone survivor, 55-year-old Anita, wife of Shri Madan Singh, was rescued by local police and emergency responders.
She was rushed to the Base Hospital in Srinagar for urgent medical care. Anita is originally from Chamoli district but currently resides in Roorkee. As per her account, the SUV had six occupants at the time of the accident, two women, two children, and one man in addition to herself. The driver of the vehicle reportedly lost control of the SUV near the Badshah Hotel area in the Devprayag police jurisdiction and tumbled into a steep gorge, eventually landing in the fast-flowing waters of the Alaknanda River.
Rescue teams, including personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the local police, quickly reached the site and launched a search operation. Station incharge Mahipal Rawat confirmed that intensive efforts are underway to retrieve the vehicle and the presumed deceased individuals from the river.
The challenging terrain and strong water currents are complicating the rescue and recovery operations. The incident has cast a pall of grief over the area, and authorities are urging drivers to exercise extreme caution while navigating the mountainous and often treacherous roads in Uttarakhand, especially during the pilgrimage season.
IANS