Kullu: Four youths, including three girls were killed while travelling back home to Kullu in Himachal Pradesh after New Year celebrations. Those dead also included a well-known tattoo artist.
The deaths occurred after the car they were in rammed into a stationary truck on the Kullu-Manali National Highway near the Bhootnath bridge around 1 am on Thursday, as reported by The Tribune.
According to the police, five friends were returning to Kullu after celebrating New Year and a birthday in Kasol when the accident occurred. One youth had stepped out of the vehicle before it met with the fatal accident.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the car hit a roadside parapet and then crashed into the parked truck. Three youths died on the spot while a critically injured young woman was taken to the Regional Hospital in Kullu. She was referred to AIIMS-Bilaspur from there, but died on the way.
Those who died have been identified as Satpal (25), resident of Chamunda Nagar, Dhalpur; Ankita (20), from Tandi village in Lahaul-Spiti; Kashish (20), of Jallugran in Jari sub-tehsil, Parbati valley; and Ratanjali (20), from Sachani village in Bhuntar subdivision.
Satpal, who was driving the car, ran a tattoo studio at Akhara Bazaar, the police said. The group of friends had gone to Kasol to celebrate his birthday along with New Year festivities, police said.
A detailed probe will reveal the exact cause of the accident though loss of control due to overspeeding are being suspected. Officials said statements of eyewitnesses are being recorded and the manner in which the truck was parked is also being examined. Post-mortem of the bodies was conducted at the Kullu hospital and the bodies handed over to the families.
