All 22 tourists in Nainital gorge accident were family friends from Faridabad

All 22 tourists aboard the Tempo Traveller that plunged into a gorge in Malla Ramgarh, Nainital district, were residents of Jawahar Colony, Nangla and Ballabhgarh areas of Haryana’s Faridabad.

They were all family friends who had set out from Faridabad around 9 pm on Thursday for a trip to Mukteshwar and Nainital to enjoy the holidays. However, the sudden accident shattered their plans for a pleasant journey.

According to the Bhowali police, 21 injured persons were rescued and taken to hospital, while three people have reportedly died. The body of one of the deceased tourists remains trapped inside the vehicle, and a police rescue operation is under way.

Daroga Harbhajan Singh said SDRF and police personnel, with the help of locals, transported the injured to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Ramgarh following the rescue operation. However, the body of one of the deceased could not be retrieved as it was trapped inside the vehicle.

Anand Jha, a resident of Jawahar Colony, Faridabad, and one of the tourists, told The Tribune that a total of 22 people, including the driver and a 10-month-old girl, were travelling in the Tempo Traveller towards Mukteshwar. Near the Lakshmikhan intersection in Malla Ramgarh, the driver lost control of the vehicle. The Traveller veered off the road, crashed through the parapet and plunged into a 100-foot-deep gorge.

“We had all set out for an outing with friends and family, full of laughter and cheer. Suddenly, a tragic accident occurred, snatching away all that happiness. We are currently occupied with the treatment and care of our injured companions. Family members are arriving from Faridabad, but three members of our group have lost their lives, while the rest are undergoing treatment,” said Jha, who works as a field officer in Faridabad.

“Two deceased were identified as Sumit and Pradeep, while the identity of the third is yet to be ascertained. All were residents of Faridabad. The group had come from Faridabad for a visit. On Friday, their vehicle plunged into a gorge near Malla Ramgarh. The body of a young man remains trapped inside the vehicle, while the other injured persons have been referred to the CHC, Ramgarh,” said Prakash Singh Mehra, SHO of Bhowali police station.

According to the police, those injured and identified so far are Manish Kumar (25), Nandini (22), Tushar Kumar (21), Lakshmi (27), Mayank (17), Pradeep Kumar (26), Ritika (23), Harsh Verma (26), Payal (22), Anand (27), Ajay (25), Anjali (22), Misty (10 months) and driver Yash Kumar (27), all residents of Faridabad.

“We have not received any details about the deceased and injured yet,” said a spokesperson for the Faridabad police.