August 12
Sirmaur: Four people were killed and nine others, including the driver, were injured after a Bolero Camper skidded off the road and plunged around 50 metres into a gorge near Gattlog in Sangrah area of Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district late Tuesday night.
The accident occurred at around 12:45 am, according to police. Four of the injured, including the driver, are reported to be in serious condition and have been referred to the Medical College in Nahan for further treatment.
According to police, the vehicle (HP 79-4595) had been hired to transport the body of Jagdish Sharma, who had died of a heart attack at Sangrah Hospital earlier on Tuesday. Sunil Sharma, a relative of the deceased, told police that after doctors declared Jagdish dead, the family hired the Bolero Camper to take his body to village Arlu for the last rites.
The vehicle was being driven by Kapil Dev, a resident of Dungi village in Sangrah. As the vehicle reached near Chinad, several family members and villagers travelling to attend the last rites also boarded the vehicle.
The Bolero Camper was subsequently headed towards Gattlog when the driver reportedly lost control near the spot, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and fall nearly 50 metres down the slope.
The deceased have been identified as Rajendra (37), Des Raj (23), Rikhhi Ram (58) and Ram Gopal (62), all residents of villages in the Nauradhar area.
The injured have been identified as Brij Mohan (62), Kripa Ram (61), Devendra Singh (44), Sunil Sharma (21), Ram Swaroop (44), Jai Prakash (45), Sandeep (21), Kamalendra (48) and driver Kapil Dev (39).
Police said Kamalendra, Sandeep, Ram Swaroop and Kapil Dev sustained serious injuries. They were initially treated at Sangrah Hospital before being referred to Medical College Nahan.
Police have initiated an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.
