Munish Sood
Mandi
At least four tourists were k*illed and 19 others injured , four of them seriously , after a traveller vehicle met with a tragic accident on National Highway-305 near Jalori Pass in Kullu district on Saturday evening.
According to initial reports, the vehicle carrying 23 tourists—reportedly from Delhi—had travelled to Jalori for sightseeing and was returning towards Banjar when the incident occurred near Sojha, at a location locally known as Bharegha Ri Jaan. The driver is said to have lost control, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and plunge into a deep gorge.
The accident took place around 8 pm. Four passengers d*ied on the spot, while several others sustained serious injuries. Rescue teams managed to evacuate 12 injured persons from the site in the initial phase, while efforts continued late into the night to locate and assist others.
Banjar MLA Surender Shourie confirmed the casualties, stating that all injured were first shifted to the Civil Hospital in Banjar for immediate medical attention. Those with critical injuries were later referred to the Regional Hospital in Kullu for advanced treatment.
Tehsildar Banjar, Neeraj Sharma, also confirmed that 23 people, including the driver, were on board at the time of the accident. He reiterated that three fatalities had been reported and that the rescue operation was carried out on a war footing by the local administration.
The injured have been identified as Anupama, Kriyan Karan, Fiza, Ayushi, Liyakar, Anurag, Arnav, Mohit Shashi, Mohit Amit, Nikita, Deenu, Alsi, and Dipali, among others. They are currently undergoing treatment at Civil Hospital Banjar, while additional rescued passengers are being brought in for medical care.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident, even as rescue and relief operations continued through the night.
