3 Kanwariyas killed, several injured as truck overturns on Rishikesh-Chamba highway

Three Kanwariyas were killed and several others injured on Wednesday morning when a truck carrying 18 pilgrims overturned near Khedi on the Rishikesh-Chamba highway in Uttarakhand. The incident occurred approximately 42 km from Rishikesh around 10 am, as the truck was en route from Sikandrabad in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr to Dharali in Uttarkashi.

According to Tehri Garhwal district magistrate Nitika Khandelwal, the victims were trapped under the overturned vehicle, necessitating the use of multiple JCBs for rescue operations. "Three Kanwariyas died at the accident spot," Khandelwal stated. Four of the injured pilgrims were immediately shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh, while the remaining were admitted to a hospital in Narendra Nagar. Rescue teams, including personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), were swiftly deployed to conduct the relief and rescue operations.

While the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, survivors informed authorities that the truck's brakes failed while it was navigating a turn. The vehicle overturned on the edge of the road, and a crash barrier fortunately prevented it from plunging into a gorge, potentially averting a higher casualty count. The identities of the deceased and injured have not yet been officially released by the police. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident.