Thaindian News

Shimla, March 3 (IANS) Thirtyfour members of a marriage party were killed when their vehicle fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh while nine others died in another accident elsewhere, police said Thursday.

A mini truck packed with the marriage party rolled into a 500-metre-deep gorge near Sherpur village, some 50 km from Chamba town, Superintendent of Police Madhu Sudan told IANS on phone.

The dead were mainly men. Eight people were injured in the accident.

Police came to know about the accident at around midnight Wednesday. It took hours for rescuers to climb down the mountain and bring up the bodies one after the other through narrow hilly paths.

Sudan said the victims belonged to closely-knit families of Chaura village near the accident spot and were on their way to the bride’s house. The dead included four members of a family.

Another police officer said that most of the victims were drunk. The accident spot had experienced continuous rainfall for two days, making the roads slippery.

In the other accident, a pick-up van carrying nine employees of a private company executing a hydropower project fell into a gorge near Bharmour, 65 km from Chamba.

The accident took place at around 8.15 p.m. Wednesday. All the nine bodies have been recovered, said Sudan.

Transport Minister Mohinder Singh blamed human negligence for both accidents.

He said that people should be persuaded not to travel in public goods carriers. “Travelling in such vehicles is quite prevalent during religious and marriage functions.”

Public goods carriers are prohibited from carrying people but the rule is routinely violated.