5 killed after van skids, falls into ditch in HP

Five persons, including four government officials, were today killed when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a ditch near Kanchi police station in interior Shimla district, police said here.
The occupants of the vehicle were on their way from Punarli to Naren when the mishap took place in Tikker sub tehsil of Rohru, about 110 km from here.
Four of the five victims were government employees identified as - Gobind Ram, Shyam Pal, Chetram, Ravi Kumar and Naren.
The cause of the accident could not be ascertained and a case has been registered and investigations are underway, police said.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Rohit Thakur has expressed grief over the accident and prayed for peace for the victims.
The District Administration has given immediate relief of Rs 10,000 to the kin of each victim.