Uttarakhand, June 26, 2025:
A tragic accident occurred Thursday morning when a tempo traveler carrying 20 pilgrims fell into the Alaknanda River near Gholthir Village on the Badrinath Highway. Following the incident, which happened at around 7:30 am, authorities reported that one passenger had died, eight had been injured, and eleven were still unaccounted for.
As part of a Char Dham tour, the pilgrims were on their way to Badrinath from Rajasthan when the car lost control and plunged into the raging Alaknanda. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and the Red Cross quickly arrived at the remote location to begin rescue operations.
"Two bodies were recovered, one near the accident site and another downstream near Rudraprayag," Red Cross rescue team member Satyendra Singh Bhandari confirmed. Three women and two children were among the seven people saved, and they were given immediate medical care at a nearby hospital. "The news of a tempo traveller falling into a river in Rudraprayag district is deeply tragic," said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on X. The SDRF and other rescue teams are conducting relief and rescue operations on a war footing. I communicate with the local government on a regular basis.
Recovery efforts were complicated, according to officials, by the driver's cabin being severely damaged and the car being submerged in swift moving water. Aware that survivors may still be inside or have been carried downstream, rescue crews are searching the river with boats and ropes.
In anticipation of updates, relatives of those on board have gathered at nearby lodges and hospitals. According to a senior police official, search parties are working with villagers to gather local knowledge of the river's currents, and identity documents and cell phones discovered at the scene are being used to verify who was on board.
The Badrinath route's narrow, frequently slick mountain roads have drawn criticism from safety experts. These roads are particularly dangerous in the early morning and necessitate rigorous adherence to speed limits and vehicle checks. This tragedy emphasizes the peril of pilgrimage in the Himalayas once more, as rescue efforts continue and families hold out hope. To stop more deaths, authorities have demanded better emergency response capabilities, better vehicle maintenance, and tougher enforcement of traffic safety regulations.
