12 Dead As Tempo Traveller With 23 People Falls Into Gorge In Uttarakhand

At least 12 people were killed after a tempo traveller carrying 23 passengers fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand on Saturday, officials said.

The accident took place on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway near Raitoli in the Rudraprayag district.

The minibus fell into the Alaknanda River and teams of the State Disaster Response Force and police are currently engaged in rescue operations, officials said.

People who were standing on the roadside have sustained injuries in the accident, sources said.

Calling the incident "very sad news", Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the district magistrate has been ordered to investigate the accident.

"I pray to God to grant the souls of the departed a place in his feet and provide strength to the bereaved family to bear this immense pain. I pray to Baba Kedar for the speedy recovery of the injured," he posted in Hindi on X, formerly Twitter.

जनपद रुद्रप्रयाग में टेम्पो ट्रैवलर के दुर्घटनाग्रस्त होने का अत्यंत पीड़ादायक समाचार प्राप्त हुआ। स्थानीय प्रशासन व SDRF की टीमें राहत एवं बचाव कार्यों में जुटी हुई है। घायलों को नज़दीकी चिकित्सा केंद्र पर उपचार हेतु भेज दिया गया है। ज़िलाधिकारी को घटना की जाँच के आदेश दे दिए… — Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) June 15, 2024

Injured people are now being airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh, officials said.