2 Forest Officers Among 4 Dead As Trial Vehicle Met With Accident In Rajaji Tiger Reserve
In a tragic incident, four people including two forest range officers of the Uttarakhand Forest Department were died when their vehicle crashed into a tree near the Chilla canal on Monday. The vehicle which brought during a trial run at the Rajaji Tiger Reserve was an All Terrain Vehicle and accident occurred when one of the tyres burst on the the Chilla-Rishikesh road.
The four persons who were injured in the accident were taken to AIIMS, Rishikesh and besides, the wildlife warden of Chilla range, Aloki Devi is went missing after falling into the canal. Deceased persons include Chilla ranger Shailesh Ghildiyal (42), deputy ranger Pramod Dhyani (43), contract worker Saif Ali Khan (25), and Kulraj Singh (35). Shailesh Ghildiyal is the younger brother of senior IAS officer Mangesh Ghildiyal.
In a very sad and tragic incident, four forest personnel of #RajajiTigerReserve including two Range Officer and a mahavat died when one of the tyres burst on Chilla Canal Road during a trial run of an All Terrain Vehicle.
A Senior Lady Officer (Asst Conservator of Forests) was… pic.twitter.com/EmqPRaxFVC— Surender Mehra IFS (@surenmehra) January 8, 2024
Officials told Times of India that that it was an electrical vehicle (EV) primarily used for chasing poachers due to its virtually noiseless operation.
Lakshman Jhoola police station SHO Ravi Kumar Saini told The New Indian Express that the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), fire services, Jal Police, and local people are scanning the canal on rafts in search of Aloki Devi.
“Our initial inquiry suggests that the accident occurred due to a tyre burst during the trial of a new vehicle, causing it to collide with a tree and overturn. However, a detailed investigation will be conducted, with finding Aloki Devi being our priority right now,” TOI quotes as Pauri Garhwal SSP, Shweta Choubey is saying. The rescue operation carried late into the Monday night.
