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Death toll rises to 113 in a road mishap in Rajasthan

Udaipur, Sat, 08 Sep 2007 NI Wire

Sep 08: As many as 113 pilgrims, includes women and children died on Friday night when a 16 wheeler truck caring more that 200 people fell into a gorge near Desuri-Ki-Naal village in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. At least 62 injured includes some very seriously have been admitted nearby hospital, rescue operators confirmed.

The rescue operators who struggled till Saturday morning faced many difficulties as it was night and the accident spot was totally cut from the near by places. All the bodies have been recovered but some of them are extremely mutilated that make difficult to identify as only some limbs despite complete bodies have been extracted from the gorge, confirmed Rupinder Singh, Rajsamund district Superintendent of Police.

Earlier, a big 16 wheeler truck were going to a Sufi shrine of Ramdevra, honored by both Hindus and Muslims, in Jaisalmer district when suddenly the driver lost control over vehicle at a very sharp turn and the vehicle shattered through a protective wall on the road and plunged into the 80-feet deep gorge at around 8 pm on Friday night, said SP Rajsamand.

Every year a religious and social fare occurs in the Sufi shrine of Ramdevra and the people believes that the leprosy and skin diseases have been cured by bathing nearby pool of the shrine.

All the bodies have been recovered and all the injured people were sent to nearby hospital of Rajsamand, Pali and Udaipur districts, Rajiv Dasod IG, Udaipur informed.

According to official report, the death toll was 85 while unofficial sources estimate that the death toll has been rises to 113 include some injured died later in the hospital.

Vasundhera Raje Scindia, the Chief Minister of the state and Home Minister has announce to visit the sight today to watch out the patient. Earlier, the government had ordered to administration to keep watching constantly on the rescue operation. State government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 to the close relative of the death victim, an official spokesman said in Jaipur.