DEHRADUN: Four people were killed on Wednesday morning after their car veered off a steep shortcut road in Mussoorie and plunged nearly 500 metres into a deep gorge, police said.
The accident took place on the Mussoorie–Kohlukhet–Jharipani shortcut route, under the Barlowganj police outpost area.
The vehicle, a white Maruti Celerio bearing registration number DL5CS 4610, was reportedly coming from Uttarkashi when it lost control on a sharp downhill stretch.
According to police, the victims have been identified as Satya Prakash, a resident of Sonipat; Maneet, 19; Savita, 48, wife of Dharamveer and resident of Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad; and Sangeeta, 46, wife of Titu and resident of Karol Bagh, Delhi.
Police said the emergency call was received through the control room in the morning, following which teams from Mussoorie police station rushed to the spot. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), fire service and ambulance teams were also alerted immediately.
“The car appears to have gone out of control on the steep slope, possibly due to brake failure, before falling into the deep gorge,” a Mussoorie police official said.
“The terrain is extremely difficult and covered with thick bushes, which has made the rescue operation challenging.” Local residents told police that the occupants had stopped briefly at a nearby shop to buy some items.
During a conversation, they reportedly said they were coming from Uttarkashi. Soon after they returned to the car and got in, the vehicle allegedly started rolling rapidly downhill, crossed an open plot and then fell into the gorge.
Eyewitnesses said they immediately informed the police after seeing the car disappear into the ravine. However, the depth of the gorge and the difficult approach delayed access to the vehicle. SDRF personnel began the operation using ropes and specialised equipment.
Officials said one woman’s body had been recovered from the gorge, while efforts were continuing to retrieve the remaining bodies. Senior officials, including the Mussoorie circle officer and the Dehradun city superintendent of police, were present at the site to monitor the operation.
“The families of the deceased have been informed and are on their way,” police said.
The Mussoorie tragedy came hours after another road accident in Uttarakhand’s Champawat district. A tourist car travelling from Munsiyari to Sonipat fell into a 70-metre gorge near Chalthi on the Tanakpur–Pithoragarh National Highway early Wednesday. Five people were injured in that accident.
Police, led by outpost in-charge Rakesh Kathayat, along with local residents, rescued the injured and took them to Tanakpur hospital. Three of them — Mohit, Amandeep and Atul — were referred to a higher centre in serious condition, while Vivek Singh and driver Aditya were discharged after treatment.
Preliminary findings suggested the driver may have dozed off at the wheel.
