a day ago
Udaipur family's Char Dham pilgrimage ends in tragedy as tempo traveller plunges into Alaknanda; 12 feared dead
DEHRADUN: A devastating accident unfolded on Thursday morning in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district when a Tempo Traveller carrying a family of pilgrims from Udaipur, Rajasthan, lost control and plunged into the Alaknanda River. The vehicle, with 20 members of the same family on a Char Dham Yatra, was swept away by the river's powerful currents.
According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), three bodies have been recovered so far, identified as Vishal Soni (41), Dreamy (17), and Gauri Soni (41). Nine pilgrims remain missing, while eight injured individuals have been hospitalised four of them in critical condition. SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi confirmed that, despite extensive efforts, the submerged Tempo Traveller has yet to be located in the river.
'We received information about the accident around 7:30 AM. Our teams, along with the police and district administration, immediately launched a rescue operation with the help of divers,' Yaduvanshi stated. 'However, the strong currents and inaccessible terrain are posing significant difficulties in our relief efforts.'
District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar provided an update on the casualties, saying, 'Three individuals have succumbed to their injuries, including two women. Eight injured have been airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh for treatment.'
