Uttarakhand: 14 killed as vehicle falls into river, CM orders probe

KATHMANDU: Fourteen people were killed and 12 others were injured on Saturday morning after a tempo traveller plunged into Alaknanda River in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, according to a State Disaster Response Force personnel.

Expressing concern over the incident, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a probe into the matter even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased.

SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra said , the vehicle was involved in the accident around 11.30 pm at a turn ahead of Rudraprayag city.

Prima facie, it appears that the driver lost control of the vehicle, which was on the way from Delhi to Chopta, due to a blind turn, Mishra said. “A tempo travel vehicle carrying 26 people to Chopta met with an accident near Rantoli near Rudraprayag headquarters. The vehicle fell 200 metres from the highway due to which 10 people died on the spot and four others died either on their way to the hospital or during treatment,” said a statement from the SDRF.

Soon after the accident, an SDRF and district rescue team reached the spot and started the relief and rescue operations.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep concern over Saturday’s accident and other mishaps that took place on the Chardham Yatra route in recent days. Issuing a strict warning to the officers, he said that if any department official is found to be negligent in discharging his responsibilities, “strict action will be taken against them”. Based on Dhami’s instructions, a lead agency was later dispatched under the leadership of Pauri Divisional Transport Officer to investigate the accident. A magisterial inquiry into the accident is being conducted separately.

जनपद रुद्रप्रयाग में टेम्पो ट्रैवलर के दुर्घटनाग्रस्त होने का अत्यंत पीड़ादायक समाचार प्राप्त हुआ। स्थानीय प्रशासन व SDRF की टीमें राहत एवं बचाव कार्यों में जुटी हुई है। घायलों को नज़दीकी चिकित्सा केंद्र पर उपचार हेतु भेज दिया गया है। ज़िलाधिकारी को घटना की जाँच के आदेश दे दिए…

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) June 15, 2024

Taking to X, Dhami wrote: “Received very sad news of a tempo traveller accident in Rudraprayag district. Local administration and SDRF teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations. The injured have been sent to the nearest medical center for treatment. The district magistrate has been ordered to investigate the incident.” According to information provided by the state , the vehicle was registered in Haryana and all the documents of the said vehicle were found to be valid. However, the prescribed seat capacity of the vehicle is 20 while 26 passengers were travelling in it at the time of the accident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

“The road accident in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand is heartbreaking. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones…” the PMO posted on X.