Four killed, two missing when SUV plunges into river near Gangotri

NDRF and SDRF teams carry a rescued body at the scene of an incident after an Innova fell into a river near Gangnani on Gangotri National Highway in Uttarkashi on November 5, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI

Four people were killed and two remain missing after an SUV carrying seven passengers plunged into the raging Bhagirathi river near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district on Thursday (November 5, 2026). The passengers, said to be from Gujarat, were traveling to the Gangotri temple.

According to the police, the accident took place on the Gangotri National Highway when the vehicle allegedly went out of control and plunged into the river.

Rescue teams fished out four bodies from the river bank in an operation involving the local police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the emergency medical service.

The deceased have been identified as Ashokben Patel (49), Rutika Ashokbhai Patel (19), Ghanshyambhai Sarwaliya (32) from Gujarat and the driver Surendra Singh, a resident of Haridwar.

The two missing passengers are Sudaben Ashokbhai Patel (45) and Kiranben Vishalbhai Patel (34).

Another passenger, 17-year-old Vedant Ashokbhai Patel, was rescued unconscious. He was initially taken to the primary health center in Bhatwari and was later referred to a higher health facility for further treatment.

District Magistrate Prashant Arya said medical teams had been put on alert as the search for the missing passengers continued. The circumstances leading to the accident are also being investigated, he added.

Published – 5 Nov 2026 11:00 PM IST