Three Indian women on pilgrimage to the remote Kailash-Manasarovar region of the Tibetan Autonomous Region were killed after the car they were travelling reportedly fell into a deep ditch on Wednesday afternoon.
Two male members related to the deceased were injured in the accident that occurred near the mountain village of Darchen located 15000 feet above sea level.
The three deceased were identified as Uma Mittal, 50, Pankhuri Gupta, 27, and Neelam Gupta, 51. The two injured were 53-year-old Praveen Kumar Mittal and 52-year-old Atul Gupta; they were taken to the Ali public hospital and were to be flown to Lhasa for further treatment.
The sequence of events which led to the accident remains sketchy. The car involved in the accident was part of a convoy of nearly 10 vehicles - part of a privately organised tour group - on their way to the pilgrimage site.
The bodies of the deceased were being flown to Kathmandu; once in Kathmandu arrangements would be made to take the remains to India.
The victims were part of a group of 43 people who had flown to Lhasa from Kathmandu. They had began their 800 km journey from Kailash-Manasarovar in convoy of SUVs.
{{/usCountry}}The victims were part of a group of 43 people who had flown to Lhasa from Kathmandu. They had began their 800 km journey from Kailash-Manasarovar in convoy of SUVs.
{{/usCountry}}An official from the Indian embassy in Beijing was flying to Lhasa on Friday morning to assist the victims.