Himachal trip turns fatal, 8 dead
8 dead after taxi falls into gorge
Chamba | Desk: Eight people, including two children and a taxi driver, were killed after a vehicle carrying tourists from Chhattisgarh and Karnataka plunged nearly 700 feet into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district.
The accident took place near Kalban on the Bairagarh-Killar road while the tourists were travelling to Sach Pass, a popular destination known for its snowfall and scenic beauty.
Among those killed were Arvind Chandrakar, originally from Durg in Chhattisgarh and currently based in Bengaluru, his wife Prachi Chandrakar, and their two sons, Darsh and Akshad. Another family from Karnataka P.G. Karthikeyan, his wife Manimala and their son Nandan also died in the crash. The taxi driver, Vishwas, a resident of Banikhet in Chamba district, was also killed.
According to officials, the tourists had hired the taxi from Dalhousie and were on their way to Sach Pass when the vehicle reportedly went out of control on Friday night and fell into the deep gorge.
The accident came to light after the taxi failed to return. Suspecting something was wrong, the vehicle owner checked its GPS location, which showed the taxi stationary near Kalban. A search operation was launched, and authorities were informed after it was confirmed that the vehicle had fallen into the gorge.
Rescue operations were delayed due to the difficult terrain, steep slopes, bad weather and lack of mobile connectivity in the area. As a result, the bodies could not be recovered on Saturday.
On Sunday morning, a joint rescue operation involving the police, SDRF and local villagers was launched under the supervision of SP Vijay Saklani. Rescue teams used ropes and formed a human chain to retrieve the bodies from the gorge.
After several hours of effort, all eight bodies were brought to the roadside and later shifted to the mortuary at Chamba Medical College for post-mortem examination.
Police have informed the families of the victims and said assistance will be provided. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined. Investigators are examining possibilities including slippery roads, driver fatigue, overspeeding and mechanical failure.
