NAINITAL: Three persons were killed and one injured after a car plunged into a 60-feet-deep gorge near Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand. The three deceased have been identified as school teachers from Almora, who are said to have been returning from a wedding party.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) received the distress call from the Khairna Police Post regarding the accident site near Ratiaghat, a treacherous stretch along the route from Almora to Haldwani.

The SDRF team, led by Inspector Rajesh Joshi from the Khairna post, mobilised immediately. Despite the extreme difficulty of the terrain, the deep ravine, and the heavy blanket of darkness, the rescue operation commenced without delay.

"The conditions were perilous. A 60-foot fall onto rocky ground, combined with the darkness, presented a major challenge to our team," stated Inspector Joshi. "However, our primary focus was securing any survivors."

The SDRF successfully extracted one critically injured survivor from the wreckage. He was stabilised at the scene and immediately transferred via a 108-ambulance to the nearest hospital for urgent medical attention.

Tragically, the bodies of the three deceased occupants were recovered from the deep gorge and handed over to local police officials for further legal formalities.

The deceased have been identified as residents of Almora, and initial reports suggest they were returning with the wedding party.

The dead have been identified as Sanjay Bisht, Surendra Bhandari and Pushkar Bhaisoda, all from Almora. The sole survivor airlifted to the hospital has been identified as Manoj Kumar, also a resident of Almora.

Local police have initiated an investigation into the exact cause of the accident. The loss of three teachers in the accident has sent shockwaves through the educational community in the Almora district.