According to police, the accident occurred near Kakira on the Lahru-Tunnuhatti road when the Toyota Innova, carrying 10 people, was travelling from Manali to Dalhousie. Officials said the vehicle was overloaded at the time of the incident. Preliminary accounts from the injured indicate that the driver lost control while negotiating a sharp curve, causing the vehicle to veer off the mountain road and crash into the gorge.
The force of the impact was so severe that parts of the vehicle were scattered across the area. Police and rescue teams faced significant challenges in reaching the wreckage and evacuating the injured from the steep terrain. The injured were initially taken for emergency treatment and later referred to Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, in Kangra district.
The deceased have been identified as Lalit Bhai Phatnani, his wife Mamta, Priyank Kanhaiya Lal, his wife Kajal, and their son Diyansh, all residents of Gujarat. The sixth victim was the driver, Jaswant, a resident of the Jogindernagar subdivision in Mandi district.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed profound grief over the tragedy. In an official statement, he directed the district administration to extend all possible assistance to the bereaved families and to ensure the best possible medical treatment for those injured in the crash.
Police said the exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined. A case has been registered, and a detailed investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances that led to one of the most tragic tourist road accidents in the region in recent months.
The incident once again underscores the dangers of mountain travel, where sharp bends and difficult terrain can turn a journey into a fatal disaster within seconds, leaving families shattered and an entire community in mourning.
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