45 killed in Uttaranchal truck accident

Dehradun: Forty-five people were killed and 17 injured when the truck they were travelling in fell into a gorge near Bhikiasein in Uttaranchal's Almora district on Tuesday.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

The truck was carrying a large group of people from Vasaut to a nearby village in the Manila area for a marriage when the mishap occurred, the police said.

An official statement confirmed that rescue and search operations were on in full swing.

The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals and the condition of at least seven persons was described as critical.

Uttaranchal Chief Minister N D Tiwari expressed shock over the accident and ordered a magisterial inquiry into the mishap.

Tiwari also announced compensation of Rs one lakh for the next of the kin of each of the persons killed and Rs 25,000 for the injured.

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