Uttarakhand: 8 Dead, 3 Injured As Vehicle Plunges Into Pithoragarh Gorge; PM Modi Expresses Grief
The incident claimed the lives of eight people on the spot, while three others sustained serious injuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced financial assistance for the victims' families.
Sharing his condolences through the official handle of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on X, he said: 'Saddened by the loss of lives due to a road accident in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the mishap. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.'
Saddened by the loss of lives due to a road accident in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the mishap. May the injured recover soon.
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The… — PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 15, 2025
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over the incident and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.
In a message posted on Facebook, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami wrote:
"Received the tragic news of a vehicle accident in the Muwani area of Pithoragarh district. I pray to the Almighty to grant peace to the souls of those who lost their lives and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense grief. The district administration has been directed to ensure proper treatment for the injured. I pray for the speedy recovery of all those hurt in the accident."
According to initial reports, the ill-fated vehicle was en route from Muwani to Bokta when the accident took place.
Following the mishap, senior administrative officials rushed to the spot and coordinated with disaster management teams to carry out a rescue operation.
The injured were retrieved from the gorge and transported by ambulance to the nearest hospital for urgent medical care.
The impact of the accident was so severe that the vehicle was completely mangled. The identities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed. However, local officials have said that the victims were all residents of the region and were returning to their village when the tragedy struck.
Preliminary assessments suggest that poor road conditions and high speed may have contributed to the accident, though the exact cause is still under investigation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Jharkhand: Maoist, COBRA jawan, unidentified person killed in gunfight
Security forces Wednesday killed a Maoist carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh during a jungle shootout in Jharkhand's Bokaro district that also left a COBRA jawan and an unidentified person dead. Police had earlier claimed that the body of the last individual, found in civilian clothing, was that of a Maoist. They later said his identity is yet to be ascertained. Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta said the Maoist killed during the gunfight was Kunwar Manjhi, a resident of Bokaro who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh and was wanted in over two dozen cases. Twenty-one of these cases were registered in Bokaro and seven in Hazaribagh, show police records. He was also involved in a shootout with police on April 21. The jawan of the COBRA 209 battalion, Praneshwar Koch, was critically injured in the operation at Birhordera under Gomia police station limits and later succumbed to his injuries. A joint search operation by COBRA-209 and the district police was underway in the area to locate other suspected Maoists. The DGP said the joint combing operation began early Wednesday morning. At Around 6 am, he said, the forces came face to face with the Maoists, leading to an exchange of fire. A police statement said that top CPI (Maoist) leaders, including Sahdev Soren (a central committee member) and Birsen (a special area committee member) were suspected to be planning a major attack in the area. 'The second body, found in civilian attire, remains unidentified,' said the DGP. The DGP said that Koch, the slain COBRA jawan, was from Kokrajhar in Assam. Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma paid tribute to him on X. An AK-47 assault rifle and a magazine with ammunition were recovered from the site along with other daily-use items. Shubham Tigga hails from Chhattisgarh and studied journalism at the Asian College of Journalism. He previously reported in Chhattisgarh on Indigenous issues and is deeply interested in covering socio-political, human rights, and environmental issues in mainland and NE India. Presently based in Pune, he reports on civil aviation, other transport sectors, urban mobility, the gig economy, commercial matters, and workers' unions. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Minister: Govt will amend law to curb unregulated school fee hikes, charges
Mumbai: Govt is planning to amend Maharashtra Education Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011, to curb unregulated fee hikes in schools, said state education minister Dada Bhuse in the assembly on Wednesday. He said govt also plans to introduce legislation to crack down on the nexus between private coaching classes and colleges in the state. This was in response to questions about colleges charging fees but coaching classes undertaking the job of teaching. Bhuse also said that it was wrong for schools to insist that uniforms and school material be purchased from a specific shop. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The issue of steep and unregulated fee hikes was raised by BJP MLA Yogesh Sagar, who said schools were supposed to raise their fees by only 15% every two years. "However, the PTA (parent-teacher association) is empowered to push for fee hikes. As a result, 10-12 parents on the PTA can work towards a fee hike decision which will impact 10,000-12,000 children. There should be a rule that 50% of the children should be represented by their parents on the PTA," he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Varun Sardesai said schools had also adopted a strategy of keeping the official fees low but charging for other items. "There is a new racket. The fee is kept low, but the schools charge for infrastructure, picnics and so on," he alleged. In response, Bhuse said the fee regulation Act would be amended. "We have received many complaints, even though school fees are supposed to be hiked only by 15% every two years. Please send all your suggestions to us," he said. The issue of the nexus between coaching classes and colleges was raised by MLA Hiraman Khoskar. He said this had resulted in a situation where the fees for courses had shot up from Rs 15,000-20,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh. "The nexus between colleges and coaching classes has been seen in Nashik. Colleges are misusing the benefits they have been given by the state," he alleged.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Govt, UNDP ink pact to develop multi-level disaster management system
A MEMORANDUM of Association (MoA) was signed between the Relief Commissioner's Office of Uttar Pradesh and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday. The agreement aims at implementing disaster risk reduction programmes, strengthening the state's institutional capacity and developing a multi-level disaster management system based on a technical approach, a statement said. Angela Lusigi, UNDP India Head and Resident Representative, was present during the signing ceremony. She also met the Chief Minister and assured that UNDP would provide all possible technical support to the state, a statement said. The purpose of this agreement is to implement a wide range of disaster risk reduction programs at different levels in the state, making the disaster management system more inclusive, accountable, and effective. Under this, various initiatives will be carried out, such as the development of disaster management plans at the district and departmental levels, risk assessment, strengthening of information systems, training, resource capacity building, establishment of early warning systems, and project management, the statement said. Key highlights of the agreement include the development of district disaster management plans for all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh and departmental disaster management plans for 15 key state departments. Also, detailed project reports will be prepared for 10 state departments, and risk and vulnerability assessments will be conducted in 20 major cities, keeping potential disasters in mind. Urban disaster management plans will also be developed for these cities. On the technical front, the state's disaster information system will be strengthened and integrated. This will involve training workshops, assessment studies, provision of necessary ICT tools, and the establishment of a Project Management Unit (PMU) at the Relief Commissioner's Office to ensure all activities are well-coordinated and effective. For the implementation of this program, the Uttar Pradesh government has approved a total budget of Rs 19.99 crore over the next three years. The funds will be spent in a phased manner, and implementation will follow the technical proposals submitted by UNDP. The state government is advancing this program in line with the recommendations of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which has authorized UNDP to provide technical assistance in this field. CM Adityanath expressed confidence that this partnership with UNDP will help build world-class disaster management capabilities in Uttar Pradesh, the statement said.
