2 burnt to death, 3 injured after newly bought car falls into gorge and catches fire

CHAMPAWAT: Two men were burnt to death, and three others were injured after a newly bought car plunged into a deep gorge and caught fire in the Lohaghat area.The incident happened on Friday near Bantoli along the Tanakpur–Pithoragarh all-weather road, Lohaghat sub-divisional magistrate Neetu Dangar said.Baldev Kumar (36), a resident of Kanalichhina in Pithoragarh district, was returning home from Haldwani with his family after purchasing the vehicle.

The car was being driven by Rajendra Kumar (48) of Didihat, news agency PTI reported.Near Bantoli, the vehicle reportedly went out of control and fell into a gorge about 100 metres deep, bursting into flames immediately after the impact, Dangar said.Baldev’s wife, Neetu Devi (35), and their two sons, Advit (8) and Aarav (5), who were seated in the back, were thrown out of the car and survived with injuries.

However, Baldev and the driver Rajendra were trapped inside the burning vehicle and died on the spot.After being alerted, teams from the local police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the district administration rushed to the site and carried out rescue and relief operations, PTI reported.The three injured family members were provided first aid and later shifted to a higher medical facility for further treatment.

Champawat district magistrate Manish Kumar has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident, officials said.(With agency inputs)Stay updated with the latest Dehradun news.

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