Tragic Accident Claims Lives of Pilgrims in Uttarakhand
Accident Overview
A tragic incident occurred in Uttarakhand on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of at least two individuals and injuries to eight others when a vehicle carrying pilgrims fell into the Alaknanda river. Reports indicate that ten additional passengers are currently unaccounted for.
The vehicle, which was transporting 20 people including the driver, lost control near Gholthir village along the Badrinath National Highway, situated between Rudraprayag and Gauchar districts.
According to District Information Officer Rati Lal Shah, the vehicle veered off course before plunging into the river.
Satyendra Singh Bhandari, a member of the Red Cross Society rescue team, confirmed that two bodies have been retrieved so far—one near the accident site and another from the river close to Rudraprayag.
Rescue operations are actively ongoing, with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announcing that three of the injured have been airlifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Rishikesh. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force and water police are engaged in searching for the missing individuals and providing assistance.
Details of the Journey
The vehicle was en route to Badrinath Dham when the accident occurred around 7:30 AM. The pilgrims were participating in Uttarakhand's Char Dham Yatra and had traveled from Udaipur, Rajasthan.