A catastrophic road accident occurred on Friday near Devprayag in Uttarakhand when a Bolero SUV veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge. The incident took place near the dumping zone heading toward Pauri along the Devprayag-Pauri highway. A family hailing from the Laksar area of Haridwar district was traveling in the vehicle, which carried seven occupants in total. Five passengers lost their lives on the spot, while one injured teenager was rescued and taken to a hospital. A joint search and rescue effort remains underway to locate the final missing occupant.
Details of the Crash and Immediate Rescue Efforts
According to local authorities and emergency personnel, the family had embarked on a journey in their Bolero when the driver suddenly lost control of the vehicle. The SUV tumbled down the steep terrain into the ravine. Upon receiving news of the crash, a team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), led by Inspector Manjari Negi, rushed to the site alongside local police units and other emergency agencies to launch a rescue operation.
Prior to the arrival of the specialized rescue teams, alert local residents had managed to extract a 16-year-old boy identified as Aram, son of Afzal and a resident of Raipur Jitpur in Haridwar. The injured youth was immediately transferred to a nearby medical facility for treatment.
Identification of Victims and Search for Missing Passenger
Roping down into the steep gorge, SDRF personnel retrieved the bodies of five individuals from the wreckage. The deceased include one woman and a three-year-old girl. Authorities identified the victims as 49-year-old Afzal, 34-year-old Gufran, 40-year-old Sabbu, 14-year-old Shadab, and 3-year-old Anamiya.
Efforts to locate the seventh passenger remain active. SDRF personnel, alongside police officials and administrative teams, are carrying out extensive search operations across the rugged slope and dense terrain surrounding the crash site. Local police have initiated formal legal procedures regarding the incident.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami Expresses Grief
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed profound sorrow over the tragic loss of lives. In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), the Chief Minister described the news of the Devprayag-Pauri road accident as deeply distressing, praying for the departed souls and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured.
Chief Minister Dhami directed district administration officials to ensure prompt and adequate medical treatment for those injured in the mishap. Furthermore, he ordered authorities to make preparations to airlift any critically injured individuals to advanced medical centers if required by their condition.
