LAHAUL-SPITI: A tragic accident claimed 13 lives on Friday afternoon when a massive boulder rolled down a hill and crushed a passenger vehicle near Kadu Nallah in the Udaipur subdivision of Lahaul-Spiti district. The victims were travelling from Kullu-Manali toward their home in the Pangi Valley.
The mishap occurred around 32 km from Udaipur on the Sansari Nallah-Killar-Thirot-Tandi road. According to officials, those inside the vehicle got no time to react as the falling rock completely wrecked the vehicle, killing all occupants on the spot.
Passersby heading toward Pangi informed the administration at Keylong and Pangi, following which a police team from Udaipur reached the site to initiate rescue operations. Police retrieved all 13 bodies from the crushed vehicle.
The victims had left Kullu-Manali on Thursday. Upon reaching Udaipur, they were informed that the road at Kadu Nallah was blocked due to landslides, forcing them to halt overnight at Tindi. On Friday morning, as soon as news arrived that the road had been cleared for movement, they resumed their journey toward Pangi, only to be struck by the boulder a short distance away.
12 Victims Identified
Out of the 13 deceased, 12 have been identified, while the identity of one remains to be established.
- Bir Singh (35), s/o Suram Chand, Village Ghisal, PO Sach, Tehsil Pangi, Chamba
- Bir Singh, s/o Lal Chand, Village Shun, PO Udaipur, Lahaul-Spiti
- Buddhi Singh, s/o Sanwal Das, PO Sach, Pangi, Chamba
- Kamla Kumari, w/o Buddhi Singh, PO Sach, Pangi, Chamba
- Anil Kumar, s/o Hari Krishan, VPO Sach, Pangi, Chamba
- Rekha (24), d/o Mahender Kumar, Village Hilol, PO Shali, Pangi, Chamba
- Saurabh Singh, s/o Bir Singh, VPO Sach, Pangi, Chamba
- Anjana, d/o Chain Singh, VPO Satti, Pangi, Chamba
- Sonam Angmo, w/o Tshering Dorje, Village Chhaling, PO Udaipur, Lahaul-Spiti
- Aroo (6 months), d/o Tshering Dorje, Village Chhaling, PO Udaipur, Lahaul-Spiti
- Sanjay Kumar, s/o Mohan Lal, VPO Kumar, Pangi, Chamba
- Hansraj, VPO Dharwas, Pangi, Chamba
Tragic Twist of Fate
In a heartbreaking turn of events, Tshering, a resident of Mayar Valley in Lahaul, lost his wife Sonam Angmo and six-month-old daughter Aroo in the disaster. On Thursday, when Sonam missed the initial vehicle heading from Manali, Tshering drove them in his own vehicle to drop them off at Tindi before returning to Udaipur. Hours later, he received news of their death. Sonam was on her way to her maternal home in Pangi along with her infant daughter.
Locals Express Concern Over Risky Stretch
Locals mentioned that traveling the 70 to 80 km stretch from Udaipur toward Pangi has become increasingly hazardous. A few years ago, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) initiated road-widening work along the route. Residents state that cutting through the mountains has weakened the slopes, leading to frequent, unpredictable rockfalls.
Locals from Tindi valley-Anil, Deepak, Sonam, and Ramesh-noted that commuters frequently face severe difficulties at Kadu Nallah, often getting stranded overnight or facing life-threatening rockfalls. They urged the BRO to deploy personnel at vulnerable points around Kadu Nallah to warn commuters and requested an immediate solution to the dangerous conditions along the Udaipur-Shoor stretch.
The Tandi-Sansari route connects Lahaul-Spiti to Srinagar via Kishtwar and holds strategic as well as tourism significance. A double-lane expansion is proposed for the highway. While the section toward Jammu has been developed, work on the Udaipur to Sansari stretch remains pending.
Administration Confirms Incident
Kiran Bhadana, Deputy Commissioner and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Lahaul-Spiti, confirmed that information regarding the incident was received from the District Disaster Control Room Keylong, Patwari Tindi, and the 94 RCC BRO.
“A Tata Sumo vehicle was crushed under a landslide and falling boulders near Kadu Nallah on the Sansari Nallah-Killar-Thirot-Tandi road, leading to the tragic death of 13 people,” she said.
She added that teams from the district administration, police, BRO, and other concerned agencies immediately launched a joint relief and rescue operation. BRO clearance teams and police worked continuously to clear the debris and retrieve the bodies.
