Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur
Jaipur, Jun 2: A pilgrimage journey turned tragic on Tuesday when an Innova carrying a family from Jaisalmer veered off a mountain road and plunged nearly 200 metres into the Alaknanda River in Uttarakhand’s Tehri district, leaving four people dead, three missing and one critically injured.
The accident occurred around 10:30 a.m. near Saknidhar in the Devprayag area. CCTV footage of the incident has since emerged, capturing the vehicle's fall into the deep gorge.
Among those killed was Dinesh Kumar Mali, 27, who was travelling with family members on a Char Dham pilgrimage. The other deceased have been identified as his mother Kamala Devi, 67, his niece Jahnavi, 18, and the driver Akhilesh.
A 12-year-old boy, Ayushman, sustained serious injuries and was initially admitted to a hospital in Srinagar, Uttarakhand, before being referred to AIIMS Rishikesh for advanced treatment.
Three passengers remain missing. They have been identified as Guddi Devi, 40, and her daughters Narmada, 20, and Ashlesha, 16. Rescue teams continue to search the river and surrounding areas for the missing family members.
According to police, the vehicle was travelling towards Haridwar when the driver allegedly lost control, causing it to skid off the road and plunge into the river below.
Teams from the State Disaster Response Force were immediately deployed from multiple locations, including Vyasi, Srinagar and Dhalwala. Rescue personnel faced significant challenges due to the swift currents of the Alaknanda River, the steep gorge and the difficult mountainous terrain.
The bodies of Dinesh Kumar Mali, Kamala Devi and driver Akhilesh were recovered during the initial phase of the operation. After several hours of intensive search efforts, rescuers later located and recovered Jahnavi’s body.
Eyewitnesses reported that the vehicle appeared to be travelling at high speed before it went out of control. Local residents alerted authorities after witnessing the accident.
Family members said Dinesh Kumar Mali had earned his MBBS degree in Ukraine and returned to India nearly two years ago. After briefly working at a family-run medical facility in Jaisalmer, he joined AIIMS about a year ago. He had recently returned home and decided to take his parents on the Char Dham pilgrimage.
His father, Lunaram, who reportedly suffers from a respiratory illness, did not accompany the family in the vehicle and had remained in Haridwar.
Rescue operations are continuing as authorities race against time to locate the three missing pilgrims.