2 killed, 4 injured as truck plunges into gorge in Bageshwar

Bageshwar: A 33-year-old driver and a 56-year-old woman were killed, while four others were injured, after a mini-truck carrying five women plunged nearly 20 metres into a gorge on the Tudtudiya-Bhairon Link Road in Kapkot block of Bageshwar district on Wednesday morning.The accident occurred around 8:15 am when the vehicle, carrying women on their way to a nearby forest to collect fodder, allegedly went out of control and veered off the road, police said. Residents alerted police and a rescue operation was initiated.The driver, Bhagat Singh, a resident of Kharbagad village, died en route to the hospital, while Surma Devi of Khadgera-Raithal village, a mid-day meal worker at a primary school, succumbed to her injuries while being shifted from the district hospital to a higher medical centre. The injured are undergoing treatment at the district hospital.Police said an investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the accident. Kapkot circle officer Ajay Sah said, “Preliminary investigation suggests the vehicle went out of control before falling into a nearly 20m-deep gorge. An inquiry has been initiated and further action will be taken based on the findings.”Meanwhile, local representative Harish Aithani alleged that inadequate crash barriers and the poor condition of the road led to the accident. He said repeated mishaps on the stretch pointed to serious shortcomings in road safety measures.