Four people died near Mussoorie in Uttarakhand state on Wednesday after a car suspected of having a brake failure plunged into a 500-metre-deep ravine, police said.
Police said they received information through helpline 112 at around 9.16 am about an accident on Garipani Road. A police team from Mussoorie police station, along with the government disaster response force, fire service and emergency medical services, rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation.
The deceased have been identified as Satyaprakash of Sonipat in Haryana, Manit (19) and Savita (48), residents of Nehru Nagar in Ghaziabad, and Sangeeta (46), resident of Karol Bagh in Delhi.
Police said they were traveling from Uttarkashi.
“As per preliminary information, the vehicle’s brakes may have failed on the steep stretch,” Mussoorie Circle Officer Ankit Kandari said.
“Witnesses told police that the passengers stopped at a nearby store and bought some items. Shortly after they returned to the vehicle, the vehicle began rolling rapidly down the hill, crossed a vacant lot and fell into the ravine,” he said.
The four are found dead and their bodies are recovered from the valley.
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Police said the bodies would be sent for post-mortem examination, and their families have been informed.
Every year, more than 1,000 road accidents are reported in Uttarakhand, and often treacherous, winding and narrow roads in mountainous terrain exacerbate the danger.
The problem becomes more severe during the monsoon and winter seasons when poor visibility makes journeys difficult.
With a target to reduce road accidents by 50% by 2030, the Uttarakhand Cabinet approved the Road Safety Policy 2025, in February last year. The objective is to ensure the safety of road users, raise public awareness, develop safer infrastructure, enforce compliance with road safety rules and traffic regulations, promote emergency medical care for accident victims, and promote qualitative research on road safety by defining the roles of various departments concerned in achieving these objectives.
