In a tragic incident early Monday morning, an SUV plunged nearly 150 feet into a gorge near Kakira in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district, resulting in the deaths of five tourists from Gujarat and the taxi driver. The accident occurred around 3:30 am on a rain-soaked and slippery stretch of the highway in Bhattiyat subdivision, as the vehicle was traveling from Manali to Dalhousie.
Victims Identified
Police identified the deceased tourists as Lalit Fatnani and his wife Mamta Fatnani, Priyank Kanhaiya Bhopani, his wife Kajal, and their son Diyansh, all residents of Bhavnagar, Gujarat. The driver, Jaswant Kumar, was from Jogindernagar in Mandi district. Four others survived the crash with serious injuries: Mayank Fatnani (son of Lalit), his wife Koram Ben, their three-year-old son Jiyansh, and three-year-old Priyanshi Bhopani (daughter of Priyank and Kajal).
Rescue and Treatment
The injured were initially taken to a nearby health facility and later shifted to Dr Rajendra Prasad Govt Medical College and Hospital in Tanda for advanced medical care. Heavy rainfall and poor visibility are suspected to have contributed to the loss of control, according to police officials.
Previous Incident
This accident comes just days after a similar tragedy on April 4, when a tempo traveller fell into a gorge near Shojha in Banjar subdivision of Kullu district, killing four tourists and injuring 17 others. Authorities have urged caution on hilly roads during the monsoon season.
