Twelve tourists died and 14 were seriously injured when a Tempo Traveller they were travelling in plunged 500 metres down the bank of the Alaknanda river along the Badrinath National Highway in Rudraprayag on Saturday. The injured were rushed to the Rudraprayag District Hospital, from where seven of them were subsequently airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh.

The tragic accident occurred near the Raitauli Petrol Pump on the Badrinath National Highway around 11.28 am when the vehicle, bearing registration number HR55AS3679, lost control and skidded off the road into the river. However, the vehicle did not enter the river stream but instead crashed down 500 metres from the top of the hill, according to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

According to the SDRF, 26 tourists aboard the tempo traveller were returning from their trip to Chopta, Tunganath, and Chandrishila.

Expressing grief over the accident, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said: “Even as the SDRF, local police, and the administration worked hard to rescue the accident victims, the Rudraprayag District Magistrate has been instructed to probe the cause of the accident.”

Two teams of SDRF were dispatched immediately for rescue operations as soon as the information reached the control room. The Tempo Traveller was carrying 26 tourists, out of whom 10 died on the spot while two more succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Fourteen tourists were shifted to the Rudraprayag district hospital, with seven of them subsequently airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh.

SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra informed that one of the injured women was thrown out of the vehicle and found hanging onto the bushes 80 metres down the road. She was spotted by the rescuers during their search operations for the victims.

The SDRF further informed that the bodies of all the deceased persons have been recovered.

Rudraprayag SP Vishakha Ashok Bhadane stated, “The rescue operation was launched soon after the police were informed about the accident. The SDRF, fire department, and disaster management teams were involved in the rescue operation. All injured were taken to the district hospital, while the bodies of the deceased were also being sent to Dehradun.”