2 dead, two injured as excavator skids into gorge near Dhalli

Two people, including a resident of Punjab, lost their lives while two others sustained injuries after a JCB (registration number Punjab 06 BA 5827) plunged into a gorge near Dhalli, approximately 8 km from Shimla, on Friday night.

The deceased have been identified as Sukhdev Rana (31), the JCB operator from Rupnagar district, Punjab, and Hari Nam Negi (30), a resident of Chagaon village in Kinnaur district. The injured have been identified as Charanjeet Singh (26), also from Rupnagar, and Neeraj Kumar (20), a native of Gamail village in Madhepura district, Bihar.

According to reports, the accident occurred near Jwala Mata Mandir when the JCB operator reportedly lost control of the machine, causing it to veer off the road and tumble into a gorge. All four occupants sustained injuries in the crash.

Local police arrived swiftly upon receiving the alert and initiated a rescue operation. The injured were rushed to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla, where doctors declared Sukhdev Rana and Hari Nam Negi dead on arrival. The other two victims are currently undergoing treatment.

A case has been registered at Dhalli Police Station under Sections 125, 125A, and 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, and a detailed investigation is underway.