Ambulance falls into gorge, three killed

Three persons were killed and two others injured when a private ambulance (HP-94B-3613) carrying a patient and his family members from Jassur in Kangra district skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge near Manghuwal, on the Himachal Pradesh-Punjab border, in the early hours of Saturday.

The victims were on their way to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, after being referred from Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College and Hospital, Tanda.

According to preliminary reports, the driver lost control over the wheel while negotiating a sharp curve, causing the ambulance to veer off the road and fall into the gorge. Three occupants, including the patient, died on the spot while two others sustained serious injuries. The injured were immediately shifted to a hospital in Hoshiarpur.

The deceased have been identified as Sanjeev Kumar Pathiyar, Omkar Chand and Ramesh Chand, all residents of Pathiyar village in Nagarota Bhagwan tehsil of Kangra district. The injured, Renu Bala and ambulance driver Bobby, are undergoing treatment at the Hoshiarpur Civil Hospital and their condition is stated to be stable. The local police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the accident.