Shimla : Five people died when a car skidded of an icy road and fell into a gorge in Shimla the state capital of Himachal Pradesh Saturday , police said .
Police said the accident probably took place in the night and the wreckage was spotted by morning walkers some 500 metres down the steep hill side near the new ISBT.
http://youtu.be/r34v0VdIK0M
All the five passengers in the car died and have been identified as locals .
Shimla and other parts of the state are in the grip of a severe cold wave following heavy snowfall this week .
The town received a spell of light snowfall Friday , the sky cleared in the night due to which the snow froze.
Video by Nagender Ranta
In a 20 year career published widely. He has worked for the BBC, AFP, The Statesman, IANS and the Business Standard . Known for his hard hitting writing and occasional off-beat stories. He lives in Shimla.
Today’s newspapers report that the accident occurred because parapets had not been provided inspite of the fact that another car met accident on the same spot a few days ago.
This is a criminal lapse on the part of PWD who has virtually ruined many families. As usual it may be convenient for the shameless PWD to pass on the blame to negligent driving but it can not justify its own non-performance. Who is not aware of the rampant corruption in this department from top to bottom? The Chief Minister should sack the concerned Chief Engineer for incompetence.
But sadly the government is not serious on the issue of construction of parapets on hill roads because it has other priorities of purchasing Toyota/Corolla cars to its ministers and burocrats!
Its really sad ! RIP..