Two deputy mamlatdars were killed and a health worker survived after the car they were travelling in crashed through a roadside railing and plunged about 35 feet into the Khapri river in Gujarat’s Dang district on Saturday, according to a report by the Times of India.
The deceased were identified as Sandip Damor and Shailesh Garashiya. The surviving passenger was identified as Sonu Bariya, a health worker. The accident occurred at Daddha Crossing near Pavdi village, where the vehicle was travelling on a hilly forest road marked by multiple turns.
According to the report, the car left the roadway, broke through the roadside railing and fell into the river. The crash brought together local residents and authorities, who began efforts to locate the occupants and recover the vehicle from the riverbed.
Damor had recently been transferred to Gandhinagar and had travelled to collect his belongings. The report does not provide further details about the purpose of the journey or the exact time at which the crash occurred.
The accident highlights the immediate safety risks associated with roads running through hilly and forested terrain, where sharp turns, steep edges and water crossings can increase the consequences of a vehicle leaving the carriageway. In this case, the roadside barrier did not prevent the car from falling into the river, although the report does not establish why the vehicle crossed the railing or whether the barrier was damaged before the collision.
Rescue and recovery operations required the participation of local residents and authorities. After the bodies were recovered, a crane was used to pull the car out of the river. Damor and Garashiya were declared dead after the crash, while Bariya survived.
The incident also underlines the operational challenge of reaching vehicles that leave elevated or difficult-to-access roads. The vehicle fell into the riverbed, requiring recovery efforts from the roadside and the use of lifting equipment. The report does not specify the agencies involved in the rescue, the condition of the railing before the accident, or whether any road-safety review had previously been carried out at Daddha Crossing.
Police have started an investigation to determine how the car fell into the Khapri river. Further details about the cause of the crash, the condition of the road and railing, and the circumstances surrounding the deaths are expected to emerge from that investigation.
