Saturday, 09 July 2022 | PNS | Ramnagar
Nine people died and one person was rescued when the car they were travelling in was swept away in a stream of water gushing across the road in Ramnagar area early on Friday morning. The accident took place at Dhela Rokhad in Ramnagar area of Nainital district at about 5:30 AM. Due to heavy rains in mountains, there was a rapid rush in the stream flowing across the road which caught the driver unaware, making him lose control of the vehicle. Such was the flow of water and the situation that rescue efforts could not be started immediately though the locals were able to rescue one woman. The police reached the site of mishap on being informed but faced difficulties in immediately commencing the rescue efforts due to the flow of the water.
An Ertiga number PB01C 6089 was swept away in the strong flow of the water with the situation being such that efforts to save the passengers could not be started immediately. Senior superintendent of police Pankaj Bhatt who reached the site, directed immediate rescue efforts after which the police and State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) personnel struggled and after much effort were able to reach the vehicle. A woman, Nazia who was stranded in the vehicle was rescued alive by the personnel. The bodies of six women and three men were extracted after breaking the windows. The bodies were identified as those of Punjab resident Pawan Jacob, Delhi resident Sangeeta Tamang, Punjab resident Kavita Singh, Noida resident Pinky Kumari, Punjab resident Amandeep Singh, Punjab resident Janvi, Delhi resident Heena, Ramnagar resident Ashiya and Punjab resident Iqbal.
After initial police inquiry it was stated that the persons in the ill-fated vehicle were staying at the Corbett Small Town home stay and restaurant in Dhela and had checked out of their accommodation at about 5 AM on Friday. They had travelled a short distance when the mishap occurred, killing nine of them and leaving only one survivor. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also expressed grief at the mishap.
