Munish Sood
Mandi
A late-night drive turned tragic in Himachal Pradesh’s tourist town of Manali when a Maruti Jimny SUV veered off the road and plunged nearly 20 feet into the Manalsu stream near the Club House area in Old Manali, leaving two young men dead and three others injured.
The accident occurred around 1:00 a.m. According to police, Jayant Tiwari, manager of Hotel Rest N Ramble, heard a loud crashing sound from the roadside and immediately rushed to the spot. He found the black Maruti Jimny (HP26A-0011) lying mangled in the stream below and alerted the police.
A police team reached the site without delay and, with the help of locals, launched a rescue operation. All five occupants were extricated from the badly damaged vehicle and shifted to the hospital.
The victims were identified as Rohit Kumar (32), a resident of Mandi district, and Karun Baudh, a resident of Kullu. Despite the efforts of doctors, both were declared brought dead at the hospital.
The three injured—Vivek, Naresh Kumar, and Urmila—are undergoing treatment after medical examination. Their condition is reported to be under observation.
Police have preserved the bodies at the mortuary in Manali, where post-mortem examinations will be conducted after the arrival of the victims’ family members.
The exact cause of the accident is yet to be established. Investigators are examining all possible angles, including overspeeding, driver error, and road conditions, to determine what caused the SUV to lose control before plunging into the stream.
The Manali police have registered a case and initiated a detailed investigation into the fatal accident.
