Uttarakhand: Eight killed after tempo wilth 23 passengers falls into gorge

New Delhi: Eight people were killed after a tempo traveller carrying as many as 23 people fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand on Saturday, officials said.

The accident took place on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway near Raitoli in the Rudraprayag district.

The vehicle fell into the Alaknanda River and teams of the State Disaster Response Force and police are currently engaged in rescue operations, officials said.

Calling the incident "very sad news", Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the district magistrate has been ordered to investigate the accident.

The people who received serious injuries are being airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh, officials said.