Six people, including five police personnel, were killed and five others injured on Friday when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into the Siul River in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
The police personnel were from the IInd IRB battalion and were on their way to join duty in Tissa, a border town in Chamba district. They were travelling in a private chartered vehicle.
The accident occurred near Tarwai bridge, about 100 km from Chamba town. The vehicle is said to have skidded off the road due to slippery conditions and fell into the river.
Rescue teams rushed to the spot and pulled out the victims from the mangled vehicle. However, five of the police personnel were declared dead on the spot. The five injured were taken to a hospital in Chamba, where their condition is said to be stable.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu expressed grief over the accident and directed authorities to provide an ex-gratia grant to the next of kin of the deceased. He also ordered a probe into the matter.
Chamba is one of the remotest districts in Himachal Pradesh and has a scarcity of passenger buses. This often leads to overcrowding of vehicles, which can increase the risk of accidents.
The police have urged people to be careful while driving in hilly areas and to obey traffic rules. They have also asked people to avoid travelling in overcrowded vehicles.
