Dehradun, April 9: Eight people were killed on Tuesday when a vehicle from Nainital district of Uttarakhand headed to neighbouring Nepal fell into a deep gorge.

Eight, including the driver, died on the spot, while two passengers were saved. Apart from the driver, all killed are residents of Nepal.

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Senior Superintendent of Police Manikant Mishra said that on Tuesday the SDRF team was informed by the Disaster Control Room, Nainital, that a vehicle has crashed into a gorge near Betalghat, requiring a team for rescue.

He said an SDRF team led by Sub Inspector Ram Singh Bora was immediately despatched to the spot.

The vehicle carrying 10 passengers from Unchakot had set out for Mahendranagar in Nepal when the accident took place.

Mishra said that the rescue team descended some 150 meters into the gorge to reach the victims.

Local people and the police along with the SDRF team took out the bodies while the two injured Nepal nationals were rushed to a hospital.

Those killed were identified as Vishram Chaudhary (50), Antram Chaudhary (40), Gopal Basniat (60), Udayram Chaudhary (55), Vinod Chaudhary (30), Tilak Chaudhary (45), and Dheeraj Chaudhary (45), along with driver Rajendra Kumar, a resident of Baskot, Betalghat, Nainital.

Chhotu Choudhary and Shanti Choudhary are in the hospital for treatment.

UNI