Surat: Four people, including three members of two Gujarati families, were killed and a teenager injured after a car carrying seven occupants plunged into a gorge in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Thursday morning. Two women travelling in the vehicle went missing after it fell into the Bhagirathi river and are feared dead.The deceased included two members of a family from Katargam in Surat — Ashok Patel (49) and his daughter Rutika (19). Patel’s relative Ghanshyam Saravaliya (32), a resident of Sayla in Surendranagar district, also died in the accident. The fourth deceased was the driver, Surendrasinh, a resident of Haridwar.Patel’s wife Sudha (45) and another relative, Kiran Saravaliya (34), went missing after the vehicle plunged into the river.Patel’s son Vedant (17), a Class XII student, sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh.According to a report issued by the Uttarkashi District Emergency Operations Centre, the accident occurred around 7am near Gangani on the Gangotri National Highway in Bhatwari tehsil. The vehicle plunged nearly 20 metres below the road.The car was carrying seven occupants, including the driver.Following the accident, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, the 108 emergency ambulance service, Bhatwari medical team and revenue department rushed to the spot. Rescue operations were underway to trace the missing occupants.Katargam deputy mamlatdar HB Divawala told TOI, “Ashok Patel was a lawyer-cum-notary in Surat and lived at Shivalik Residency near Lalita Chowk. His family, along with two relatives, had gone on a tour of Uttarakhand. Patel’s brother-in-law has rushed to Uttarakhand to complete the formalities, while the Surat district administration is coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities.”As Patel was also a native of Surendranagar district, the bodies of the deceased are likely to be taken to their native place for the last rites.
