A family holiday turned tragic when a woman and her 11-month-old son died after their parked vehicle rolled backwards and plunged into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul and Spiti district, police said on Friday.
The deceased were identified as Tanu Kumari, 26, and her son Daksh Kumar, residents of Gurgaon, Haryana, according to news agency PTI. The accident occurred near Gramphu on the Koksar-Rohtang route on Wednesday when the family stopped to enjoy scenic views while traveling from Manali towards Lahaul and Spiti.
According to police, the driver and other passengers stepped out of the vehicle to admire the natural landscape. Tanu and her infant son remained inside the vehicle, along with another woman, as she was feeding the baby. Suddenly, the vehicle began rolling backwards on a slope and fell into a gorge, police said.
Eyewitnesses reported that the car slipped backwards. Local residents rushed to carry out a rescue operation and shifted the injured to a hospital in Manali, where doctors declared Tanu and her son brought dead. Savita Devi, 52, who was also injured in the incident, is undergoing treatment, police said.
The accident site is about eight kilometers uphill from Koksar towards Rohtang, a region known for its difficult terrain and poor mobile connectivity. Spanning around 13,833 square kilometers, Lahaul and Spiti is the largest district in Himachal Pradesh by area but remains among the least populated in the country, with around 35,000 residents.
Officials said that due to the difficult terrain and weak communication network, information about accidents in such remote areas often reaches authorities late. The bodies were handed over to the family after post-mortem examination, officials said.
Lahaul and Spiti Superintendent of Police Shivani Mehla said a case has been registered and further investigation is underway. Police said they are examining whether the handbrake was properly engaged while parking, along with other possible angles.
