By Our Staff Reporter
Uttarkashi, 31 May: A boulder rolled down near Dabrani on the Uttarkashi Gangotri Highway and fell on a Bolero vehicle due to which some people were buried under the debris today. One person is reported to have died, while six are reported to be injured. Two of the injured are reported to be in serious condition. Relief and rescue teams reached the spot as soon as the news was received. The reason being cited for the boulder rolling down is a raging forest fire in the hill near Dabrani. The boulder is reported to have cracked due to the heat of the forest fire and fallen below. Meanwhile, there is apprehension that several more persons could have got buried under the debris and may not have been rescued so far. The rescue operation continues.
According to the District Magistrate, Uttarkashi, Dr Meharban Singh Bisht, one person died in the accident on the spot, while 5 are injured including two who are seriously injured. He also stated that arrangements are being made to airlift the two seriously injured people and take them to the District Hospital. Dr Vikram Mandal, Medical Officer in charge of Primary Health Centre in Harsil, said that two of the seriously injured people are being airlifted to the district hospital. Other patients will also be referred to the district hospital if needed. According to him, six people were injured in the accident.
Upon receiving information about the accident, a police team reached the spot and started rescue work. It is reported that large and small boulders are still falling from the hill and therefore the traffic movement has been restricted.
District Magistrate Bisht directed the relief and rescue teams to reach the spot immediately. The Police, SDRF, NDRF, Revenue Team, Disaster Team reached the spot. Traffic has been stopped at a safe distance away on both sides of the spot on Gangotri National Highway. More than 500 vehicles were reported to be stranded between Gangotri and Harsil at the time of filing of this story. The work of removing boulders from the road is going on. Vehicles will be permitted to ply only after the road is declared to be completely safe.
Dr Vikram Mandal said that the injured who were brought to the PHC, are not in a position to speak, so far. On the other hand, CO Uttarkashi Prashant Kumar said that boulders have fallen in a two hundred metre area. Due to which the situation is not clear how many people are buried.
According to the locals, the accident occurred due to forest fire which continues to rage in the forest on the hill. They also claim that due to the fire, a High Tension Power Supply Line has also broken and come down along with the boulders on the road below. Due to the incident, one truck of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) engaged for construction of retaining wall on the lower side of the road, one JCB machine, one Water Tanker and a private Bolero SUV have been damaged in addition to one Maruti Car and a bike.
The district administration reported that those injured included Subhash Voniyal, Bina Voniyal, Divyanshu Voniyal of Kalsi Dehradun and Nitesh, Himanshu, Meera , Vishakha and Radha from Muzaffarnagar.
Three injured in two accidents airlifted, taken to AIIMS Rishikesh
By Our Staff Reporter
Uttarkashi, 31 May: In a note released late this evening, Uttarkashi District administration updated that three seriously injured persons in separate accidents near Dabrani and Silkyara in the district have been airlifted in two helicopters and taken to AIIMS Rishikesh for treatment. District Magistrate Dr Meherban Singh Bisht had issued instructions to airlift the injured as per the need to higher centres on the advice of doctors for better treatment.
It may be recalled that those injured in the boulders falling incident in Dabrani have been taken to Primary Health Centre in Harsil while two of them, namely Vishakha aged 25 and Subhash, son of Dhima and Nitesh and residents of district Muzaffarnagar who were injured seriously were taken to the helipad at Jhala and from there airlifted in a chopper and taken to AIIMS in Rishikesh.
Meanwhile in a separate incident this morning, a bus carrying pilgrims from Karnataka to Gangotri from Yamunotri overturned on the road near Silkyara. Seven passengers injured in this accident have been brought to District Hospital Uttarkashi for treatment. Of them, a seriously injured passenger, Nagamma, wife of S Narayan Swamy, aged 60 years and resident of Ward No. 2 Kumbawara, Kurathani, Bellary in Karnataka has been sent to AIIMS Rishikesh by helicopter from the newly constructed helipad in Joshiyada.
