M A I N   N E W S

24 kanwarias killed in road mishap
Sunit Dhawan/TNS

Dehradun/Gurgaon, August 1
Twentyfour persons died after the truck they were travelling in lost control and fell from a hill into a 150-m-deep gorge. The truck (HR-55-E-2307) was coming from Uttarkashi to Gangotri carrying Kanwariyas and met with an accident near Dabrani.

The locals came to know of the incident early this morning and they brought the matter to the notice of the police. The local police, along with jawans of the CRPF and the CISF, were present at the spot to pull out the bodies.

Circle Officer of Uttarkashi BL Bhandari told The Tribune that as per now 24 bodies had been taken out and there was no knowledge of any one being injured in the incident. He added that a total of 19 persons were said to be travelling in the truck and more bodies were expected to be recovered.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank expressedcondolences on the death of the Kanwariyas and directed the Uttarakashi District Magistrate to facilitate the treatment of any one who was injured.

Nishank also ordered the district administration to conduct a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, a pall of gloom descended on Baghnaki and Kherki villages in Gurgaon district as those killed were from here.

A group of villagers, comprising family members of the deceased youths and Baghnaki sarpanch’s representative Gajraj Kaushik, immediately left for Uttarkashi to bring back the bodies.

Nearly 20 youths of Baghnaki village and five of Kherki village had gone to Gomukh to bring kanwar. They were on their way back when the canter they were travelling in fell into a ditch at Dabrani in Uttarkashi area of Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased.

Expressing grief over the accident, Hooda said though the loss suffered by the families of the deceased could not be compensated, a compensation of Rs 2 lakh would be given to the next of the kin of each deceased as an immediate help to their family.

Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Rajender Kataria contacted District Magistrate of Uttarkashi Saurabh Jain and requested him to help in the retrieval of the bodies. Kataria also requested Jain to get the postmortem done and ensure that the family members of the deceased did not face any hardship.

The Gurgaon district administration also sent a team of officials to assist the family members of the deceased in Uttarkashi. The team, led by Manesar tehsildar KS Dhaka, comprises some police officials as well.

Kataria said the team had left for Uttarkashi and would help the family members of the deceased in completing the legal formalities there. He said he was in constant touch with the Uttarkashi DM and assured the bereaved families of all possible help and support.