Dehradun: Three members of a family lost their lives and three others sustained injuries after the vehicle they were travelling in plunged into a 400–500 metre deep gorge in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district early on Saturday morning, officials said.

The accident took place at around 5:50 a.m. in the forest area near Lwani village. According to officials, the vehicle veered off the road and fell into a deep gorge, triggering an immediate rescue operation involving the police, disaster response teams and local administration.

Sub-Inspector Sandeep Devrani, in charge of the Dewal Police Outpost, informed the Station House Officer (SHO) of Tharali about the accident after receiving information that a vehicle had fallen into a gorge nearly 400–500 metres deep in the forest area of Lwani village.

Acting swiftly, the SHO of Tharali, accompanied by a police team, left for the accident site. At the same time, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Tharali was informed about the incident, and a request was made to deploy a District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) team to assist in the rescue and relief efforts.

Officials said that after reaching the spot and conducting preliminary inquiries, it was found that Balbir Singh, a resident of Bank village in the Lohajung area, was returning to his native village following the death of a family member.

According to officials, the mortal remains of Bhajan Singh were being transported to the village in a private ambulance after he passed away in Dehradun while undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, Balbir Singh and several family members were travelling separately in another vehicle to attend the final rites and accompany the deceased back to their village.

A total of six people were travelling in the vehicle when the accident occurred.

Preliminary findings suggest that the driver may have briefly fallen asleep while driving, causing the vehicle to lose control and plunge into the deep gorge. However, authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident.

The deceased have been identified as Balbir Singh (52), his wife Shanti Devi (48), and their son Anshu Bisht (18), all of whom died in the crash.

The three injured passengers have been identified as Kavita Devi (32), Mayank Singh (8), and Roshni (18).

Rescue teams retrieved the injured from the gorge and shifted them to a nearby hospital by ambulance for medical treatment. Officials said the injured are currently undergoing treatment and are receiving necessary medical care.

The rescue and relief operation was carried out jointly by personnel from the police, the DDRF and the local administration. Authorities worked for several hours to evacuate the victims and clear the accident site.

Officials said all required legal procedures are being carried out, and further investigation into the incident is underway.