Five of family kill as car plunges into gorge on Pathankot-Chamba highway
Shimla/Chamba, July 28
Five members of a family, including an eight-month-old infant, were killed after their car plunged into a deep gorge near Lahad in Banikhet on the Pathankot-Chamba National Highway in Himachal Pradesh, police said on Tuesday.
According to the police, the accident is believed to have taken place late Monday night, but information reached the Chamba police around 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday. Police teams, assisted by local residents, rushed to the spot and found the vehicle badly damaged in the gorge. All five occupants had died before rescuers arrived.
After a strenuous rescue operation, the bodies were recovered from the mangled vehicle and the gorge and sent for post-mortem examination. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
The deceased were identified as Bachchan Singh, his son Ripon Singh, daughter-in-law Rimpi, niece Kirti Rana and Ripon’s eight-month-old son. All belonged to Gaihra Gram Panchayat in Bharmour Assembly constituency of Chamba district.
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Police said Ripon Singh was serving in the Himachal Pradesh Police and was posted at Pong Dam. He had earlier worked as a Home Guard. Family members said the infant had been unwell for several days and had undergone treatment at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) in Chandigarh. The family was returning home after the child’s medical consultation when the accident occurred.
Kirti Rana was employed in the private sector in Chandigarh. Residents said her father had also lost his life in a road accident a few years ago.
The exact cause of the accident has not yet been established. Preliminary reports suggest that heavy rain and poor visibility, possibly due to dense fog, may have contributed to the mishap, though police said all angles are being examined.
The tragedy has cast a pall of gloom over Gaihra village, with relatives and local residents mourning the loss of the entire family.
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