A father and son were killed after their truck skidded off the Manali-Leh highway and plunged into a deep gorge in Lahaul. The accident took place on the Kiling Sarai-Bharatpur road stretch when the driver reportedly lost control due to slippery road conditions.
Truck veers off road into steep ravine
The truck, registered as HP-65A-3396, veered off the road and fell into a steep ravine. According to the original story, the driver lost control over the wheel because of the slippery road surface, causing the vehicle to leave the highway and crash into the gorge.
Multi-agency rescue operation launched
Soon after authorities were alerted, a large-scale rescue operation was launched. Personnel from the local police, Indian Army, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), ITBP, and members of the local truckers' community worked together to reach the victims.
Despite these coordinated efforts, the rescue teams faced considerable difficulty while retrieving the bodies from the wreckage of the truck. The deep gorge made access to the crash site extremely challenging.
Our Take: A tragic reminder of mountain road dangers
This accident is a heartbreaking loss for one family — a father and son gone in an instant. It also highlights the constant dangers faced by drivers on mountain highways like the Manali-Leh road. Slippery conditions, narrow roads, and deep gorges make every journey a risk. While rescue teams acted quickly, the terrain made their job nearly impossible. In our view, this tragedy underscores the urgent need for better road safety measures, including improved signage, barriers, and real-time weather alerts on such high-risk stretches.