A tourist died and three others sustained injuries after a four-wheeler they were travelling in plunged off the road and crashed near the north portal of the Atal Tunnel, police said on Wednesday.
The tourists were travelling from Manali to Lahaul on Tuesday night when the incident took place, PTI news agency reported. The deceased tourist has been identified as 34-year-old Kailash from Rajasthan's Sikar.
The injured are Rajendra and the driver Siddharth – both from Sikar – and Aditya from Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh. In the aftermath, the vehicle, a black Scorpio car, was seen lodged between rods after it reportedly plunged off the road.
Driver misjudged turn, car plunged off road
At around 10 pm, the vehicle, shortly after exiting the Atal Tunnel's north portal, veered off the road and plunged towards the Chandra river. This was owing to alleged overspeeding and the driver failing to negotiate the turn.
After exiting the north portal, the road takes a sharp turn towards the right, and the Chandra river lies straight ahead. The driver, given the dark, might not have gauged this and continued straight down the road, thus leading to the car falling off the road towards the river.
After it fell, the vehicle crashed into an under-construction bridge over the river, according to the PTI report.
{{/usCountry}}After it fell, the vehicle crashed into an under-construction bridge over the river, according to the PTI report.
{{/usCountry}}The three injured are undergoing treatment. The body of the deceased has also been taken into custody and the family members informed, Sissu station house officer Mukesh Rathour told PTI. The body will be handed over to the relatives after post-mortem.
Following the accident, cops have cautioned tourists against travelling during night and overspeeding in the hills, given that the roads are slippery during monsoon and the visibility is affected.
Heavy to very heavy rain expected, at least 4 killed in rain-related incidents
Several parts of Himachal Pradesh saw continuous downpour on Thursday, even as the India Meteorological Department issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over the next few days. Four people were killed in rain-related incidents in the state, with torrential rainfall in Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala leading to road closures owing to landslides.
A resident from Nalagarh in Solan district, identified as Sukhbir Kaur, 38, was travelling to Manikaran with her family when a dislodged boulder fell on her, PTI reported. Kaur had stepped out of the car on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway near Aut when the incident took place.
Three deaths were also reported in Kangra district, with electrocution and falling from height being among the reasons. Villages in Chamba district witnessed a flood-like situation, with falling debris from the mountain entering and causing damage in houses.
(With inputs from PTI)