Efforts Intensify to Recover Bodies After Deadly Chamba Gorge Accident
Rescue teams are using ropes and human chains to reach the wreckage, with officials saying the steep terrain and bad weather are slowing recovery.
- On Sunday, May 31, 2026, rescue operations continued in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district to retrieve the bodies of seven tourists and their driver, who died when their taxi plunged nearly 500 metres into a gorge on Friday night.
- The victims, two families from Bengaluru, Karnataka, had hired a taxi in Dalhousie on Friday to visit the snow-covered Sach Pass region, but the vehicle's owner launched a search after GPS data showed the car stationary near Kalavan for an extended period.
- Rescue efforts, led by Chamba Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal, face severe challenges from steep terrain, unpredictable weather, and total absence of mobile connectivity; officials are utilizing satellite communications to coordinate the recovery operation.
- Locals and police resumed retrieval operations on Sunday morning, forming human chains to navigate the dangerous slopes, with authorities confirming the victims include two families from Karnataka and a local driver from Banikhet.
- The Bairagarh-Sach Pass-Killar road is considered one of Himachal Pradesh's most hazardous routes; this incident follows a May 11 accident near Kakira that killed five tourists and a driver, highlighting persistent dangers in the remote Churah subdivision.
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Times of India
The Economic TimesHimachal Pradesh: 8 killed as taxi falls into 500-metre gorge in Chamba district
A tragic accident in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, claimed the lives of eight people. A taxi carrying tourists plunged into a deep gorge. The victims included two families from Bengaluru and Chhattisgarh, along with the local driver. Authorities confirmed all eight occupants were found dead. Recovery efforts are underway.
Himachal Pradesh Accident: Taxi Plunges Into 500-Meter-Deep Gorge In Chamba, 8 Tourists Killed (Watch Video) | 📰 LatestLY
Eight people, including the driver, were killed when a taxi carrying tourists plunged into a 500-meter-deep gorge near Kalawan in Himachal Pradesh. The accident occurred on the Bairagarh-Pangi-Sach Pass road in the tribal Pangi sub-division of Chamba district. 📰 Himachal Pradesh Accident: Taxi Plunges Into 500-Meter-Deep Gorge In Chamba, 8 Tourists Killed (Watch Video).
7 tourists from Bengaluru among 8 feared dead after taxi plunges 500 m into gorge in Himachal’s Chamba
Lack of mobile connectivity and the remote location are hampering the rescue operation near the Bairagarh-Sach Pass-Killar road, one of the most dangerous mountain routes in Himachal Pradesh.
Eight tourists missing after vehicle plunges into gorge in Himachal's Chamba
Eight people travelling in a tourist taxi are missing after the vehicle fell into a gorge near Kalaban in Chamba district. The search has been slowed by rugged terrain and no mobile network, with the state government monitoring the rescue effort.
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