Six tourists from Bengaluru, including two children, and a local taxi driver are feared dead after their vehicle reportedly plunged nearly 500 metres into a deep gorge near Sach Pass in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district.
The accident occurred on the Bairagarh-Sach Pass-Killar road, one of the most challenging mountain routes in the state. Authorities believe all eight occupants of the vehicle lost their lives in the tragedy.
Rescue operation hampered by terrain
The accident reportedly took place on Friday night but came to light only on Saturday afternoon when a search operation was launched after the vehicle failed to return as scheduled.
Officials said rescue efforts were severely hampered by steep terrain, adverse weather conditions and the absence of mobile network coverage in the remote region.
Chamba Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal said authorities were relying on satellite phones for communication as conventional mobile networks were unavailable in the accident zone.
Families from Bengaluru among victims
Preliminary information suggests that a family from Kadugodi in Bengaluru had hired a taxi in Dalhousie for a sightseeing trip to the snow-covered Sach Pass region. They were reportedly accompanied by another family from Bengaluru.
Those feared dead include Arvind Chandrakar, his wife Prachi Chandrakar, their eight-year-old son Darsh Chandrakar, 11-year-old Akshad, P G Karthikeyan, Manimala Karthikeyan, Nandan, and taxi driver Vishwas from Chamba district.
Officials said formal identification of the victims will be completed before releasing final details.
GPS alert led to search
The search operation was initiated after the taxi owner noticed through GPS tracking that the vehicle had remained stationary near the Kalavan area for an unusually long period.
Authorities have stated that it is too early to determine the exact cause of the accident, as there were no eyewitnesses. A detailed investigation will be conducted after recovery operations are completed.
The tragedy has once again highlighted the risks associated with travelling on high-altitude mountain roads, particularly during unpredictable weather conditions.