Four killed, one injured as vehicle falls into gorge in Manali

Four people, including two tourists from Punjab, were killed on the spot, while one person sustained critical injuries when their vehicle skidded off a road and fell into a gorge near the Rani nallah, between Manali and the Rohtang pass, in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Sunday, police said.

A Maruti Alto car bearing registration number HP01K-7850, with five people on board and a valid Rohtang permit, skidded off the road and fell into a gorge near the nallah in the morning, they added.

Permits are issued by the administration to a limited number of vehicles to visit Rohtang every day, after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban on commercial activities in the area.

The deceased have been identified as Ranjeet singh (31), Harvinder Singh (27), both from Punjab's Hoshiarpur, and driver Narender Kumar (34), a resident of Kullu, while one body is yet to be identified, police said.

All four died on the spot, while Ravi Kumar (24), also from Hoshiarpur, is critically injured, they added.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has expressed grief over the tragic road accident and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families, a statement issued here said.