Two men were burnt alive and three others were injured after a newly purchased car went out of control, plunged into a deep gorge, and caught fire in Uttarakhand's Champawat district. The accident took place on Friday in the Bantoli area along the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh all-weather road in the Lohaghat region.
New car accident in Uttarakhand's Champawat: What happened
According to Lohaghat Sub-Divisional Magistrate Neetu Dangar, the vehicle was being driven by Rajendra Kumar (48), a resident of Didihat. Baldev Kumar (36), a resident of Kanalichhina in Pithoragarh, was returning home with his family from Haldwani after purchasing the new car.
Near Bantoli, the car suddenly went out of control and plunged into a 100-metre-deep gorge. It caught fire immediately upon impact, according to The Tribune.
Victims and injured identified in the gorge accident
The two men who died in the accident were Baldev Kumar and Rajendra Kumar. The injured include Baldev's wife, Neetu Devi (35), and their two sons, Advit (8) and Aarav (5). All three were in the car when it fell into the gorge.
"The car suddenly went out of control near Bantoli and plunged into a 100-metre-deep gorge, catching fire immediately upon impact." — Lohaghat Sub-Divisional Magistrate Neetu Dangar, as reported by The Tribune
Our Take: A tragic reminder of road safety risks in hilly terrain
This is a heartbreaking incident. A family's joy of buying a new car turned into a nightmare in seconds. The fact that the car caught fire immediately after falling into the gorge made rescue nearly impossible for the two men. In our view, this accident highlights the extreme dangers of driving on hilly roads in Uttarakhand, where sharp turns and steep drops leave no room for error. Authorities must look into whether better road barriers or speed control measures could prevent such tragedies. For now, our thoughts are with the family that lost two members and is now recovering from injuries.