2 Killed, 3 Injured As Newly Bought Car Falls Into 100-Metre Deep Gorge In Uttarakhand’s Champawat

Champawat: A journey back home in a newly purchased car turned fatal for a family in Uttarakhand's Champawat district, after the car plunged into a 100-metre deep gorge. According to reports, the vehicle veered off Uttarakhand’s Tanakpur-Pithoragarh All-Weather Road and plunged into a deep gorge, killing the driver and owner of the car, and leaving 3 others, including 2 children, injured.

On information, the local police, firefighters team and other emergency teams rushed to the site, but the car caught fire, falling from a height, making it impossible to save those trapped inside.

The incident occurred on Friday near Bantoli in the Lohaghat area of Champawat. According to the police officials, the family was returning after taking delivery of a new car from Haldwani. On their way back home, within moments of the vehicle veering off the road, it plunged nearly 100 metres into the ravine and burst into flames. The sudden crash and the fire left little time for escape for the victims, turning a celebratory drive into a scene of grief.

The district administration and emergency services launched rescue operations immediately after being alerted about the incident. The rescue teams shifted all the victims to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared two men dead, while the other three were hospitalised for treatment. A magisterial inquiry has now been ordered to establish the exact cause of the accident and to review safety on the hilly stretch.

Lohaghat Sub-Divisional Magistrate Neetu Dangar confirmed that the crash took place on the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh road at Bantoli. She stated that the car suddenly went out of control and fell into a gorge about 100 metres deep, catching fire on impact. The vehicle had been purchased only recently in Haldwani and the family was driving it back to their home in Pithoragarh district when the accident happened.

As per reports, one of the deceased, identified as Baldev Kumar (36), a resident of Kanalichhina in Pithoragarh, was travelling with his wife and two sons after buying the car. The other deceased, identified as Rajendra Kumar (48), from Didihat, was behind the wheel. Both men were trapped in the burning vehicle and died at the scene, while Baldev’s wife Neetu Devi (35) and their sons Adwit (8) and Aarav (5) were seated in the rear and were thrown clear of the car. They survived with injuries and were given first aid at the site before being shifted for further treatment.

The teams from the local police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and district administration reached Bantoli soon after the incident and began relief work. The injured family members were stabilised and then referred to a larger hospital for advanced care. Champawat District Magistrate Manish Kumar has directed a magisterial probe into the accident. The investigation will look into whether mechanical failure, road conditions or driver error led to the car losing control on the winding mountain road.

Further details regarding the incident are awaited.