By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Devprayag (Pauri Garhwal), 7 Aug: A devastating road accident shook Pauri Garhwal district this morning when an SUV (Bolero) carrying six members of a family from Haridwar plunged nearly 250 metres into a deep gorge on the Devprayag–Pauri motor road near Kunddhar. The vehicle, registered as UK08 BL 0387, was heading towards Pauri when the driver lost control around 11.30 a.m., leading to the fatal fall. Five people died instantly while one child has been rescued in a critical condition.
The Police received the alert in Devprayag through 112 and immediately rushed to the site along with the SDRF team. Rescue operations were launched in the difficult terrain, and the local villagers also joined the rescue operation. The teams retrieved five bodies from the gorge and rescued the injured child, Armaan, son of Afzal, resident of Raipur Jeetpur under Kotwali Laksar in Haridwar district. He was first taken to Bagi hospital and later referred to the base hospital in Srinagar owing to his serious condition.
The deceased have been identified as Afzal (49), his wife Shabbo (40), daughter Annawia (3), son Shadab (14) and his younger brother Gufran, all residents of Raipur Jeetpur, Laksar. According to police, Afzal was working as a contractor in Pauri and had set out with his family for a visit when the accident occurred. He himself was driving the vehicle at the time.
The accident site near Kunddhar is a steep and treacherous stretch, and preliminary investigation suggests that the driver lost control of the vehicle. The police have taken the bodies into custody and initiated necessary proceedings. The incident has cast a pall of grief over the victims’ native village and the surrounding area, with the community mourning the sudden loss of five lives. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
SSP Pauri, Sarvesh Panwar shared with the media that at around 11:30 a.m. today, the Devprayag police station had received information via the 112 helpline about a vehicle plunging into a gorge on the Pauri road. Following the report, police and SDRF teams rushed to the scene. He confirmed that five people died on the spot in the accident. He also informed that all the deceased were residents of the Laksar police station area in Haridwar district. One person was injured and has been sent to Srinagar Hospital.
