Chamba, August 5
Ten persons were killed and 17 injured when a Mahindra pickup van (HP-68-1203) carrying 26 persons veered off the road and rolled down a hillock near Kut, 35 km from here, around 11 pm yesterday.
Nine persons died on the spot, while one person succumbed to injuries on his way to hospital. All of them were coming from Bhalana village, near Sharpur in Kangra district, to participate in the Minjar Fair here.
Bhattiyat SDM Rakesh Verma said the deceased included six men, three women and two children. Those killed were: Rajesh Kumar (driver of the vehicle), Birbal, Ashok, Puran Chand, Ravinder, Rajat, Sumna Devi, Kamini Devi, Sarika Devi and Savitri Devi.
The injured were: Anjna (18), Rimpon (19), Sunil (16), Deepika (14), Saajan (13), Ravi (24), Rajeev (25), Pankaj (15), Shivani (6), Indu Bala (18), Reena (26), Payal (7), Sonia (17), Raj Kumari (50), Sanjay (32), Kaushalya (51) and Bulbul (5). The condition of the injured was stated to be serious. They were first taken to the Chowari referral hospital from where they were referred to the Tanda Medical Hospital, Dharamsala.
The SDM said an immediate relief totalling Rs 1 lakh was given to the next of kin of the deceased and the injured. The relief as per the relief manual of the government would follow, he added. The bodies have been sent for autopsy and a case has been registered.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who was here to preside over the Minjar Fair, expressed grief over the deaths.
