41 killed in two accidents in Himachal Pradesh

Forty-one people, including 32 members of a marriage party, were killed and seven others were injured in two separate accidents in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, police said today.

A canter carrying members of a marriage party from Chaura to Shekhpur plunged into a 300-feet deep gorge near Shekhpur at 12.30 am last night, killing 32 people.

While 30 people died on the spot, two persons succumbed to their injuries on way to hospital.

Five injured persons were rushed to RP Government Medical College, Tanda in Kangra while another injured person was taken to a hospital in Pathankot.

Chamba district police chief, Madhusudan, who was on the spot, said the truck was carrying about 40 people.

He said the injured persons have been rushed to the hospital while bodies of the deceased were being recovered from the gorge.

In another accident, nine persons, all employees of a company, were killed on the spot when a pick-up van rolled into a ditch near Bharmaur, 65-Km from Chamba last night.

The van was going to Bharmaur to drop the employees after the night shift.

Himachal Vidhan Sabha speaker, who represents Bharmaur constituency, has expressed grief over the accident and asked the district administration to provide immediate relief to the affected families.