Kullu, Himachal Pradesh:
New Year celebrations in Kullu district turned into mourning after a devastating road accident late Sunday night claimed the lives of one youth (young man) and two young women, while another woman sustained critical injuries.
According to information received, the accident occurred around 1:00 AM. All four were returning from Kasol when their car lost control near the Bhootnath Bridge. The vehicle first rammed into a roadside parapet and then crashed under a parked truck. The impact was so severe that the car was completely mangled, leaving bystanders shaken.
Police and local residents carried out a difficult rescue operation to pull the victims out of the wreckage. Three occupants died on the spot, while one young woman was critically injured. She was first taken to the regional hospital in Kullu and later referred to AIIMS Bilaspur for advanced treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Satpal (25), son of Dhyan Chand, resident of Chamunda Nagar Dhalpur (Kullu); Ankita (20), daughter of Rakesh Kumar, resident of Tandi village, Lahaul-Spiti district; and Kashish (20), daughter of Tej Ram, resident of Jallugran village, Jari sub-tehsil (Kullu).
The injured woman has been identified as Ritanjali (20), daughter of Yudhishthir Lal, resident of Sachani village, Bhuntar tehsil (Kullu).
The most heartbreaking aspect of the tragedy is that Satpal had celebrated his birthday on December 31. He had gone to Kasol with his three friends to celebrate his birthday and the New Year. Satpal was a professional tattoo artist and ran a shop in Kullu’s Akhara Bazaar.
Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the incident. Post-mortem examinations of the three deceased are being conducted at Kullu Hospital, after which the bodies will be handed over to their families.
The tragic incident has cast a pall of grief over the entire Kullu region, with locals expressing shock and sorrow over the loss of young lives at the start of the New Year.
