Fagli festivities end in grief as two youths die in Kullu crash

The vibrant celebrations of the traditional Fagli festival in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district ended in heartbreak after a devastating road accident claimed the lives of two young men and left three others injured in the early hours of Sunday.

The mishap occurred near Jana waterfall in the Manali subdivision when a Bolero camper (HP-34E-1427) carrying five friends veered off the road and plunged nearly 100 metres into a deep gorge. The vehicle reportedly came to rest behind a house, damaging its roof.

The deceased have been identified as 20-year-old Avinash, who was driving the vehicle, and his friend Sonam (23), both residents of Saur village in Kullu. The injured — Vivek (20), Hemraj (18) and Vijay (19) from Kotadhar village — were rushed to the Regional Hospital in Kullu. Officials said their condition is now stable and out of danger.

According to the police, the group had attended the Fagli festival in Jana village on Saturday night to offer prayers at the local deity’s temple. The celebrations had continued late into the night. Around 3.30 am, while returning home and just a short distance from the Jana bus stand, the vehicle went out of control.

Vivek, one of the survivors, told the police that the journey had been normal until they approached a stretch near the waterfall, about 250 metres from the bus stand. He said the driver suddenly lost control, and within moments, the vehicle hurtled off the road into the gorge. The impact proved fatal for Avinash and Sonam.

Local residents and police personnel quickly reached the site and launched a rescue operation, pulling the injured from the wreckage and transporting them to hospital.

Kullu SP Madan Lal Kaushal confirmed that an investigation is underway. Manali MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaur visited the hospital to offer condolences. The tragedy has cast a pall over the region, turning a night of celebration into one of mourning.