Rudraprayag, June 27: At least three people were killed and nine others reported missing after a tempo traveller carrying Char Dham pilgrims plunged into a deep gorge in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district on Thursday, officials said.
The vehicle was en route to Badrinath after a visit to Kedarnath and was carrying pilgrims from Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra when it fell into the Alaknanda river valley near Gholtior.
State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams reached the site within 30 minutes of the incident and launched a rescue operation, officials said. “Three bodies have been recovered so far,” a spokesperson for the SDRF said, adding that rescue efforts were ongoing.
Eight passengers, including three women and two children, were rescued from the site. Some of the injured have been airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh, while others have been taken to nearby hospitals, officials added. Preliminary reports suggest the accident occurred after the driver lost control of the vehicle. Eyewitnesses said several passengers jumped from the vehicle moments before it plunged into the gorge, potentially saving their lives.
Search efforts continue to trace the nine missing individuals, as authorities intensify rescue operations in the treacherous terrain. The Char Dham Yatra, a popular pilgrimage route in Uttarakhand’s Himalayan region, draws thousands of devotees annually, often over difficult and hazardous mountain roads.
