Garhwal Post Bureau
Nainital, 21 May: Five people lost their lives in a tragic car accident on the Bhowali bypass near Dhaula village in Nainital district today. The administration confirmed that all the five occupants of the vehicle died in the mishap that occurred around 2:30 p.m. The victims, residents of Lucknow, had come to Nainital on 19 May for a visit and were travelling towards Bhowali village near Kainchi Dham today when the accident happened.
According to reports, the Uttar Pradesh-registered car suddenly went out of control and plunged nearly 50 feet into a gorge near Kainchi Dham. A local food vendor witnessed the vehicle fall and immediately alerted the police through the 112 helpline. The Police and the SDRF teams rushed to the spot, conducted a rescue operation and retrieved the victims from the gorge. They were taken to the nearest primary health centre where doctors declared them dead.
The deceased included a father, mother, son, daughter and the driver. Circle Officer Nainital, Ravikant Semwal, said the car was registered in Lucknow and the driver’s identity is yet to be established. The victims have been identified as members of the Chufal family originally from Khateema in Udham Singh Nagar but currently residing in Lucknow. Among the deceased were two adults above 45 years of age and two children aged 12 and 19.
The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the region as the tourist family’s visit ended in tragedy. Police have initiated further investigation into the circumstances of the accident.
