Breaking: Tragic Road Accident in Himachal—Groom’s Brother, Sister-in-Law, Infant Niece Among Five Dead

Mandi, April 25: What began as a joyful wedding celebration in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district turned into a heartbreaking tragedy when a car returning from the groom’s procession (baraat) met with a fatal accident near Pandoh Dam. The crash claimed the lives of five people, including the groom’s elder brother, his wife, their 8-month-old daughter, and two others.

The groom, Sher Singh from Taroar village in the Gohar sub-division, had taken his wedding party to Bhatkidhar in the Seraj region on Friday morning. On their way back later in the day, his elder brother Duni Chand left a bit earlier—likely to make arrangements for welcoming the bride at home. However, fate had something else in store.

While traveling on the Pandoh-Bakhli road, their vehicle lost control and plunged roughly 200 meters down a steep slope near the dam. The car didn’t fall into the reservoir but landed in an open area above it, where it was mangled beyond recognition. Locals rushed to the spot and immediately began rescue efforts.

Spot of the incident

Due to the car’s condition, it took significant effort to retrieve the bodies. Police teams from Sadar Police Station and Pandoh Outpost coordinated the recovery operation, using a boat to bring the bodies up from the water-accessible area to the main road. The deceased were then sent to the Zonal Hospital in Mandi for post-mortem.

Among the victims were:

• Duni Chand (35), son of Ramesh Kumar

• Kanta Devi (30), wife of Duni Chand

• Kajal (8 months), their daughter

• Dehlu Ram, son of Thaliya Ram from Naun village

• Meena Devi, a woman of Nepali origin

Sadar SHO Desh Ram confirmed the incident and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.