Tragedy in the Hills: Families’ Joyful Trip Ends in Fatal Ravine Crash in Chamba

What was meant to be a memorable mountain getaway for two families turned into an unimaginable tragedy in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district. On Sunday, rescue teams recovered the bodies of seven tourists and their taxi driver after their vehicle plunged into a deep gorge along the treacherous Bairagarh–Sach Pass route.

The victims have been identified as Arvind Chandrakar, his wife Prachi, and their young sons Darsh and Akshad—originally from Chhattisgarh but settled in Bengaluru. The second family included PG Karthikeyan, his wife Manimala, and their son Nandan, all residents of Bengaluru. The taxi driver, Vishwas Salhota, was a local from Banikhet in Chamba.

According to Chamba Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Saklani, the two families had crossed paths during their visit to Dalhousie and struck up a connection. Deciding to extend their holiday together, they planned a trip to the picturesque but challenging Sach Pass—known for its stunning views but equally notorious for its difficult terrain.

The group hired a shared taxi and set off on Friday to explore the scenic route from Bairagarh towards Sach Pass and Killar. Their vehicle was last recorded crossing the Bairagarh check post on Friday afternoon, with plans to return later that day. However, when the taxi neither made it back to Dalhousie nor reached Killar, alarm bells began to ring.

Concerned about their disappearance, authorities launched a search operation on Saturday, with the help of local residents familiar with the rugged mountain landscape. After hours of combing the area, the search teams made a grim discovery: the mangled remains of the vehicle lying hundreds of feet below the road, deep inside a gorge near a sharp bend at Kalaban.

Due to fading daylight, the lack of a direct path, and the extremely steep terrain, rescue efforts had to be paused for the night. Early Sunday morning, teams resumed the challenging operation. Using ropes and forming human chains, police personnel and volunteers carefully descended into the gorge to reach the wreckage.

The recovery effort was both physically demanding and emotionally heavy. After more than seven hours of painstaking work, all eight bodies were brought back up from the ravine.

Officials say the terrain at the accident site posed serious challenges, with steep slopes and no easy access route. Preliminary investigations suggest that the vehicle may have plunged into the gorge while returning from the Sach Pass side towards Bairagarh, although the exact cause of the accident remains unclear.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Tissa police station, and authorities have begun a detailed investigation to determine what led to the fatal crash.

The incident has left both grieving families and the local community in shock. It also serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with travel on high-altitude mountain routes like Sach Pass—where breathtaking beauty often comes with equally unforgiving conditions.

CM Sukhu expresses grief over loss of eight lives in accident in Sach pass of Chamba

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has expressed grief over the loss of eight lives in a tragic road accident between kalaban to Satrundi road  in Sach pass of Chamba district.

The Chief Minister conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for peace to the departed souls.