At least 14 people died after the vehicle they were travelling fell into a gorge in Champawat district of Uttarakhand. The incident took place near Sukhidhang Reetha Sahib road early this morning.
The accident occurred when the victims were returning from a wedding in Tanakpur to Danda Kaknai village in the district, according to Kumaon DIG, Nilesh Anand Bharne. Another two people were injured in the accident and have been taken to a hospital.
A team of the State Disaster Response Force rushed to the site for rescue and relief work.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami tweeted that the local administration was engaged in relief and rescue work.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to offer his condolences. His office announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who lost their lives. The injured would be given Rs 50,000.
"The accident in Champawat, Uttarakhand is heart-wrenching. I express my condolences to the families of those who have died in this accident. Local administration is engaged in relief and rescue work," he tweeted.
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