Four people were killed and two remain missing after an SUV carrying seven people plunged into the Bhagirathi river near Gangnani in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on Thursday, November 5, The Hindu reported.
The passengers, reportedly from Gujarat, were on their way to the Gangotri temple. Police said the vehicle went out of control on the Gangotri National Highway and fell into the river. Gujarat Samachar reported that the vehicle was an Innova and that one person was seriously injured.
Rescue and search
Local police, the State Disaster Response Force and emergency medical teams recovered four bodies from the riverbank. Those killed include the driver, a resident of Haridwar, according to the report.
A 17-year-old passenger was rescued in an unconscious state. He was first taken to the Primary Health Centre in Bhatwari and later referred to a higher medical facility.
District Magistrate Prashant Arya said medical teams had been placed on alert as the search for the two missing passengers continued. The circumstances of the accident are being investigated, he said.
Why it matters
The Gangotri National Highway runs along the Bhagirathi through steep terrain, and the stretch near Gangnani is used by pilgrims heading to Gangotri. The cause of Thursday's accident has not yet been established, and officials have said it is under investigation.