6 killed, 4 hurt as SUV plunges into rivulet in Chamba

There were a total of 11 people onboard the SUV, nine of them IRB jawans, who were going on patrolling; five of the deceased were jawans of 2nd Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB); 1 person suspected missing

Six persons, including five jawans of 2nd Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), were killed, while four others were critically injured and one person suspected missing after a landslide hit the SUV, sending it hurtling down the hill into a rivulet in the remote Churah sub-division of Chamba district on Friday morning.

The mangled remains of the SUV being fished out of the rivulet in Chamba’s Churah on Friday morning. (HT Photo)

The mishap took place near Tarwai bridge, about 75 kilometres from district headquarters, Chamba, on Tissa-Bairagarh-Pangi road. There were a total of 11 people onboard the SUV, nine of them IRB jawans, who were going on patrolling.

Churah subdivisional magistrate Joginder Patial said the injured were rushed to Tissa Hospital from where they were referred to Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College and Hospital, Chamba.

The search is on for the missing person. The deceased have been identified as sub-inspector Rakesh Gaura, head constable Praveen Tandon and constables Kamaljeet, Sachin and Abishek. Driver Chandu Ram, who is a local resident, is also among the dead.

MLA blames PWD, seeks FIR

Meanwhile, Churah MLA Hansraj, who arrived at the accident spot, blamed the public works department officials for the mishap.

Hansraj alleged that there had been frequent landslides at the spot and the road had been closed on their request. However, the PWD officials reopened the road without clearing the dangerously hanging boulders and debris, which led to the fatal mishap.

“I wrote to the government and raised the issue on social media to keep the road closed until it is safe to commute. However, my voice fell on deaf ears,” he alleged.

“An FIR should be lodged against PWD officials due to whose negligence six people lost their lives. An inquiry must be instituted to fix the responsibility,” he demanded.

PWD officials couldn’t be reached for comments.