Twelve people were killed when a sports utility vehicle (SUV) skidded off the Bharmaur-Badgram road and fell into 750 m deep Kuthar nallah in Chamba district, a senior police official said today.
The victims were returning after playing a cricket match when the tragedy struck late last night, Chamba Superintendent of Police B M Sharma said.
The Bolero, carrying the victims in the age group of 14-18, plunged into the deep nallah in Bharmaur tribal area, 80 km from district headquarter Chamba.
Villagers and rescue teams rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies from wreckages of the vehicle this morning, he said.
The bodies were brought to Badgram village where a team of doctors would carry out postmortem so that cremations take place today itself.
Governor Urmilla Singh, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmauri, who is also the local MLA, former Chief Ministers Shanta Kumar and P K Dhumal have expressed shock over the tragedy and conveyed their condolences to the affected families.
