Five members of a family died and one person went missing after their car plunged into a gorge on the Devprayag-Pauri road in Uttarakhand's Pauri district, police said. The accident took place in the Devprayag area, where the vehicle lost control and fell into the deep gorge.
Bolero Car Accident in Uttarakhand Claims Five Lives
The family, hailing from the Laksar area of Haridwar, was travelling in a Bolero car when the driver lost control of the vehicle. According to the News18 report, the vehicle lost control on the Pauri-Devprayag road before plunging into a deep gorge. Seven people were in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) confirmed that a 16-year-old boy was injured in the accident and was rescued from the site. The SDRF teams recovered the bodies of five people, including a woman and a girl, from the accident site.
Rescue Operations by Police and SDRF in Pauri
Upon receiving information about the accident, Devprayag police and the SDRF rushed to the scene and immediately initiated rescue and relief operations. The teams worked at the gorge site to recover the victims and search for the missing person.
According to ThePrint, the accident left five members of the family dead, with one person still missing. The injured boy was the sole survivor rescued from the vehicle during the operation.
"The vehicle lost control on the Pauri-Devprayag road before plunging into a deep gorge. Five people died and one survivor was rescued." — News18
Investigation into the Devprayag-Pauri Road Accident
Police have launched an investigation to determine what caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, as reported by The New Indian Express. The mountainous terrain and the nature of the gorge have made the rescue and recovery efforts challenging for the teams on site.
The tragic incident highlights the dangers of driving on hilly roads in Uttarakhand, where sharp curves and steep drops pose significant risks. The Tribune India report confirms that the accident occurred on the Devprayag-Pauri road, a route known for its treacherous stretches.
Our Take: Road Safety on Uttarakhand's Mountain Routes
To put it plainly, this is a heartbreaking tragedy that underscores the dangers of mountain driving. Losing five members of one family in a single accident is a devastating blow, and our thoughts are with those affected.
This accident raises serious questions about road safety on Uttarakhand's hilly routes. The Devprayag-Pauri road is not new, and accidents like this have happened before. In our view, authorities need to look closely at what safety measures can be improved — from better road barriers to clearer warning signs at dangerous curves.
The fact that seven people were in a single Bolero also points to possible overloading, which can make a vehicle harder to control on steep and winding roads. While the investigation will determine the exact cause, this tragedy should serve as a reminder for all travellers to exercise extra caution when driving in mountainous regions.