Eight killed, including three children, as vehicle plunges into gorge in Pithoragarh

Eight persons, including three school-going children, died after the vehicle they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) evening.

According to the police, teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), medical personnel, and police were immediately rushed to the site near Bhandari village. Prima facie, the vehicle appeared to have lost control while negotiating a turn. Local villagers also assisted in the rescue operation, which lasted for nearly two hours.

Among the deceased was the driver, Narendra Singh, said Pithoragarh Superintendent of Police Rekha Yadav. The three children who lost their lives were identified as Simran Singh, 7, and sisters Vineeta, 17, and Tanuja.

The other victims were identified as Shanti Devi, 45, Rajendra Singh, 60, Hoshiyar Singh, 65, and Deeksha, 25.

Those injured in the incident were rushed to the district hospital in Pithoragarh for treatment.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed condolences over the incident.

“The extremely sad news of a vehicle accident in the Muwani area of Pithoragarh district has been received. I pray to God that the departed souls find a place at his divine feet and that God give strength to the grieving families,” Mr. Dhami said in a post on social media platform X.

He added that directions had been issued to the district administration to ensure proper medical attention for the injured.