A tragic accident in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district claimed the lives of two people, including a teenager, after a massive boulder rolled down a hillside and crushed the SUV in which they were travelling through the scenic Darma Valley.
The victims have been identified as 15-year-old Keshav Khandelwal and the vehicle's driver, Surendra Gabyal. Both died instantly when the huge rock struck the SUV. Four other occupants of the vehicle, all members of Keshav's family, sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
The family was part of a tourist group that had travelled from Kota to visit prominent destinations in the region, including Adi Kailash, Om Parvat, and Darma Valley. The tourists had hired two vehicles for the journey. The SUV that was struck by the boulder was leading the convoy, while the remaining members of the group were travelling in a second vehicle following behind.
Photographs from the accident site showed the SUV completely mangled beneath the weight of the giant rock, highlighting the severity of the impact. According to preliminary reports, road-widening work was underway in the area, and several large boulders were reportedly hanging precariously on the hillside above the road. One of these rocks is believed to have become dislodged and rolled down onto the passing vehicle, resulting in the fatal accident.
Local authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the tragedy, including whether ongoing construction activities or geological instability contributed to the rockfall.
The incident occurred just a day after another fatal road accident in Chamoli district, where four people lost their lives when a car veered off the road, plunged into a gorge, and eventually fell into a river. Three other passengers, including a woman and a child, were injured in that accident. Rescue teams comprising police personnel, district administration officials, and local residents immediately launched operations to assist the victims. The precise cause of the Chamoli accident remains under investigation.
The back-to-back tragedies have once again highlighted the dangers associated with travel in mountainous regions, particularly during periods of road construction and unstable terrain, where landslides, rockfalls, and road accidents pose significant risks to commuters and tourists alike.
