Four killed and two missing as car falls into Bhagirathi river in Uttarkashi
A vehicle carrying pilgrims from Gujarat skidded off the Gangotri national highway and entered the river on Thursday morning.
A car carrying pilgrims from Gujarat plunged into the Bhagirathi river near Gangnani in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Thursday morning, according to reports by Hindustan Times and The Tribune. The accident occurred on the Gangotri national highway in Bhatwari tehsil around 7 am.
Officials confirmed that four people died in the incident, including the driver. The deceased have been identified as Patel Ashokaben (49), Rutika Ashokabhai Patel (19), and Ghanshyambhai Sarvaliya (32), all from Gujarat, and driver Surendra Singh from Haridwar.
Two women, identified as Patel Sudaben Ashokbhai (45) from Surat and Patel Kiranben Vishalbhai (34) from Surendra Nagar, remain missing. Jal Police and specialised divers are searching for them in the river despite strong currents.
A 17-year-old boy, Patel Vedant Ashokbhai, was rescued in critical condition and flown to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh via helicopter. Emergency teams including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed to the site.
Uttarkashi district magistrate (DM) Prashant Arya stated that rescue teams have recovered four bodies from the riverbank. Officials have not yet established the exact cause of the accident.