A 40-year-old government employee and his eight-year-old son were killed when their Maruti Brezza plunged into a gorge near Bhatnol on the Shillai-Meenas NH-707 in Sirmaur district around 11 pm on Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Sohan Singh, a resident of Kando Bhatnol who worked as a clerk at the SDM office in Shillai, and his son Shivanshu. His 11-year-old daughter Anvi, who was also in the car, went missing after the accident.
The bodies of Sohan Singh and his son were recovered during the night, but the whereabouts of the girl remained unknown, triggering an anxious search by her family and the administration. Her schoolbag was found near the accident site, raising fears for her safety.
On Monday morning, Shillai SDM Jaspal, along with an administrative team and local residents, reached the spot and launched a large search operation with the help of drones. After four to five hours of searching the difficult terrain, the girl was found safe.
According to local information, she had managed to get out of the damaged vehicle after the accident and walked nearly 4 km during the night. A local woman reportedly spotted her crying and sitting on a roadside parapet near a village on Monday morning. The incident has left the family and residents of the Shillai area in deep shock. The girl has lost her father and younger brother in the accident.