15 die as truck falls into gorge in Uttarakhand

At least 15 Hindu devotees on a pilgrimage to a Himalayan town were killed and four other injured on Sunday when a truck in which they were travelling fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand, officials said.

At least 15 Hindu devotees on a pilgrimage to a Himalayan town were killed and four other injured on Sunday when a truck in which they were travelling fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand, officials said.

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The truck carrying 20 people lost control on a hilly road in Uttarakhand state's Dabrani district and plunged into a 150-metre (495-foot) deep gorge, United News of India reported, quoting officials.

The victims were on their way to an annual monsoon pilgrimage to the Himalayan town of Gangotri when the accident occurred, state emergency services officials told the news agency.

The injured were hospitalised in a serious condition.

The fate of the truck driver was not immediately known.

India has the highest annual road death toll in the world, according to the World Health Organisation, with accidents caused by careless driving, poor roads, overcrowding and bad vehicle maintenance.