Two men were charred to death and three others sustained injuries after their newly purchased car veered off into a deep gorge and caught fire in the Lohaghat area here, officials said on Saturday.
The accident occurred on Friday in the Bantoli area along the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh all-weather road, according to Lohaghat Sub-Divisional Magistrate Neetu Dangar.
Baldev Kumar (36), a resident of Kanalichhina in Pithoragarh, was returning home with his family from Haldwani after purchasing a new car. The vehicle was being driven by Rajendra Kumar (48), a resident of Didihat.
The car suddenly went out of control near Bantoli and plunged into a 100-metre-deep gorge, catching fire immediately upon impact, Dangar said.
Baldev’s wife, Neetu Devi (35) and their two sons, Advit (8) and Aarav (5), who were sitting in the rear seat, were thrown out of the vehicle and survived with injuries. However, Baldev and Rajendra became trapped inside the burning wreckage and died on the spot.
Upon receiving information, teams from the local police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the district administration reached the spot and conducted rescue and relief operations.
The three injured family members were given primary treatment and later referred to a higher medical facility for specialised care.
Champawat District Magistrate Manish Kumar has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident.
