A late-night journey turned tragic on Friday when a car carrying three friends plunged into a 200-meter-deep gorge on the Pithoragarh-Thal road in Uttarakhand, resulting in two fatalities and one injury.
The Fatal Journey and Initial Confusion
The victims have been identified as Sanjay Kumar (30) and Hayat Singh Kharayat (36). Their friend, Sanju (28), who was driving the vehicle, survived with injuries. The trio had travelled to Muwani, approximately 45 kilometres from Pithoragarh town, for work and were returning when the accident occurred near Rin Bichhul around 11:30 pm.
Police were first alerted about the incident by the emergency ambulance service. Upon reaching the remote spot, they found Sanju injured and in a state of shock. Sanju claimed to the police that he was alone in the car, stating he had dropped the other two at Bungachhena after they stopped for dinner, according to Prakash Pande, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Thal police station. Sanju was subsequently taken to the district hospital in Pithoragarh for treatment.
Search Operation Uncovers Grim Truth
The narrative changed dramatically around 3 am when police received information that the two other men who were travelling with Sanju were missing, and their families could not contact them. This prompted the launch of an immediate search operation.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) joined the efforts. Following a challenging search in the difficult terrain, the bodies of Sanjay Kumar and Hayat Singh Kharayat were recovered from the deep gorge. The area is known for its dense foliage, which complicated the rescue mission.
Possible Cause and Aftermath
Investigating officer SHO Prakash Pande suggested a possible cause for the accident. He indicated that a wild animal suddenly coming onto the road might have caused the driver to lose control, leading the vehicle to veer off and fall into the steep gorge.
The accident has cast a pall over the region, highlighting the perils of night travel on mountainous roads. The bodies were sent for post-mortem, and a thorough investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events that led to this tragic outcome on the Pithoragarh-Thal route.
