PITHORAGARH: Five persons, including a retired Brigadier of the Army and two Nepal nationals, died and two others sustained injuries after their vehicle fell into a deep gorge from the Pithoragarh-Thal road. The accident took place at Muvani early on Wednesday when they were returning from Haridwar.
Dev Nath Goswami, station house officer, Thal, told TOI, “Retired Brigadier Vinod Kumar Chand was planning to organise a religious function at his native Bunga village in Pithoragarh. Prior to the function, he had gone to Haridwar with a priest and five others for some arrangements. On their way back, Chand lost control of the vehicle and it fell into a deep gorge.”
The officer added that Chand had to take the Seraghat-Pithoragarh route as the Pithoragarh-Tanakpur and the Pithoragarh-Almora roads were closed for vehicular movements following rain-triggered landslides.
“The injured — Diwan Chand from Pithoragarh and Dal Bahadur Bisht from Nepal — are undergoing treatment at Pithoragarh district hospital,” said SHO Goswami. Three of the deceased were from Pithoragarh, apart from the two Nepal nationals.
