Four killed, several injured as pick-up van falls into gorge in Manipur

Four people, including three women, were killed and several others injured after a pick-up van carrying wedding guests plunged into a gorge in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on January 6, police said.
The accident occurred around noon near the remote Ngaljang village in the Singngat sub-division when the vehicle, carrying around 30 to 40 people, failed to negotiate a sharp turn and fell into the gorge, officials said. The pick-up van had been hired for a wedding.
The deceased were identified as Thangmuanmung Khuptong, Hauchiin, Chingngaihsiam and Niangzaniang, police said.
Rescue operations were launched immediately after the incident, with local residents and security personnel rushing to the spot to help the injured. The injured were shifted to nearby health facilities, some of them reportedly in critical condition.
Police said an investigation has been initiated to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.