Jeep mishap in Pithoragarh claims one life, 5 reported to be missing
Pithoragarh: One person drowned and five went missing after the jeep they were travelling in fell into the Gori Ganga, five km ahead of Jauljivi, in Pithoragarh district on Tuesday morning. The driver lost control of the vehicle near Chifaltara village. Till late evening, the body of only person could be fished out, 2 km downstream from the site of the accident.
A massive search operation, involving close to 200 police and disaster officials, has been launched to find the other five, washed away by the strong currents. The Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam lent its raft for the search operation.
The accident spot is not an mishap-prone area, police said.
They added that six persons — Rajendra Singh Baseda (36), Dilip Singh (55), Mohammad Farooq (25), Adil Qureshi (32) and Satish Singh — hired a jeep driven by Jeevan Singh Baseda (35) to go to Baram from Jauljivi on Tuesday morning. When the vehicle reached Chifaltara village, Jeevan lost control of the wheel and the jeep plunged into a 100-metre-deep gorge, landing in the river. All six along with the jeep were swept away in the gushing water.
While Rajendra, Jeevan and Dilip are from Jauljivi, Adil and Farooq hail from Dharchula and Satish Singh hails from Bhulwakot area in the district.
