Lucknow: Eleven pilgrims, including women and children, were injured after an SUV carrying them back from a religious pilgrimage in Nepal veered off a mountainous road and plunged into a gorge near Koyalabas on Thursday, officials said.The devotees were returning after offering prayers at the revered Prabhunath Temple in Swargadwari, Nepal, when the accident occurred on a downhill stretch of the hilly route. Eyewitnesses said the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle while negotiating the descent, causing it to skid off the road and fall into a roadside gorge.The impact left passengers trapped inside the mangled vehicle as cries for help echoed through the area. Residents, assisted by the Nepal Police, rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation.The injured were pulled out of the vehicle and initially taken to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Tulsipur before the seriously injured were referred to the district hospital for advanced treatment.According to officials, the pilgrims belonged to Bhayapurwa village in Balrampur district. The group, led by Sahaj Ram, travelled to Swargadwari on Wednesday for darshan and prayers and was returning home when the accident took place.CHC superintendent Dr Sujit Kumar said seven of the injured sustained serious injuries and were referred to the district hospital.The driver, Rajendra, told authorities that the vehicle’s brakes failed to respond on the steep downhill stretch, causing him to lose control.
