3 Women Killed After SUV Falls Into Gorge In Himachal’s Kullu

Three women, including a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, lost their lives after a Tata Sumo vehicle plunged nearly 50 metres into a deep gorge near Jokhunala in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district on Thursday afternoon.

The accident took place on the Badhai-Bagan-Peej road, around six kilometres from Kullu district headquarters. According to reports, the victims were on their way to attend the Kahika fair in Shirarh village of the Oozhi valley after casting their votes in the panchayat elections.

Two women died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries during treatment at the Regional Hospital in Kullu. The deceased were identified as Kali Devi (62), wife of Buddhi Singh; her younger daughter-in-law Maina Devi (35), wife of Devi Singh; and Kalawanti (40), wife of Surendra, all residents of Bedhar village.

Nine other passengers sustained injuries in the crash. Among them, Tara and her son Ayansh were reported to be in critical condition and were referred to AIIMS Bilaspur for advanced treatment.

Local schoolchildren from Kotlu Gran village first spotted the vehicle in the gorge and alerted nearby residents. Villagers, along with police, fire brigade and health department teams, rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. Several injured were shifted to hospital in private vehicles before ambulances arrived.

Sadar MLA Sundar Singh Thakur visited the accident site and later met the injured and bereaved families at the hospital. Superintendent of Police Madan Lal Kaushal said an investigation has been launched to ascertain the cause of the accident.