Himachal Pradesh Accident: Around 50 Devotees Injured as Cargo Vehicle Falls Into Ditch Near Peer Nigaah

August 25, 2026

Una: Around 50 devotees were injured after a 14-tyre cargo vehicle carrying them reportedly lost control while descending a slope and fell into a deep roadside ditch near the famous religious site of Peer Nigaah in Himachal Pradesh’s Una district on Tuesday morning.

The accident took place around two kilometres from the Peer Nigaah Temple, triggering panic among the passengers.

The devotees were reportedly from Indri in Haryana’s Karnal district, along with people from Panipat, Fatehabad and nearby areas. Men, women and children were travelling in the vehicle.

The group had arrived at Peer Nigaah on Sunday to pay obeisance at the religious site. After offering prayers, the devotees also organised a langar before beginning their onward journey.

Vehicle Falls Into Deep Ditch

The devotees were scheduled to return home on Tuesday after visiting Mata Shri Naina Devi and Shri Anandpur Sahib.

However, shortly after leaving the Peer Nigaah Temple, the vehicle reportedly lost control while travelling downhill. The cargo vehicle went off the road and plunged into a deep ditch, leaving around 50 passengers injured.

Passersby, local residents and other devotees rushed to the accident site and helped pull the injured out of the damaged vehicle.

Several injured devotees were taken to the Regional Hospital in Una in private vehicles, while others were shifted through ambulances, including the emergency 108 ambulance service.

Injured Referred to PGI Chandigarh

Doctors at the Una hospital provided first aid to several injured devotees. Some patients were subsequently referred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, for further treatment.

Police were also informed about the accident. A team from Una Police Station reached the spot and later visited the hospital.

Officers began recording statements from injured devotees and eyewitnesses as part of the investigation into the circumstances that led to the crash.

One of the injured devotees, Ramesh Kumar, described the moments after the accident as terrifying. He said devotees from different parts of Haryana had travelled together for the pilgrimage when the vehicle suddenly lost control while descending the slope.

According to him, locals and others present in the area immediately came forward to help and ensured that the injured were taken to hospital.

Cargo Vehicle Use Raises Safety Concerns

The accident has raised questions over the reported use of a 14-tyre cargo vehicle to transport devotees.

Such vehicles are designed for carrying goods rather than passengers, and their reported use for transporting pilgrims has raised concerns about road safety and enforcement on the Peer Nigaah route.

According to reports, a cargo vehicle had overturned on the same route about a week earlier. Similar incidents involving vehicles carrying pilgrims have also reportedly occurred in the area in the past.

The latest accident has renewed questions about enforcement by police and transport authorities and the measures being taken to prevent commercial cargo vehicles from being used to ferry large groups of passengers.

Investigation Underway

The exact cause of the vehicle losing control and the circumstances surrounding the transportation of passengers in the cargo vehicle are expected to be established through the police investigation.

The incident has also highlighted the risks faced by pilgrims travelling in vehicles that may not be designed or authorised for passenger transport.

With devotees travelling in large numbers to religious sites across Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring states, the accident has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of transport rules and greater attention to pilgrim safety.

For the devotees, what was supposed to be a religious journey turned into a frightening ordeal within moments, with families travelling together suddenly facing injuries and emergency hospitalisation.

Authorities are now expected to determine how the accident occurred, whether transport rules were violated and what measures are needed to prevent similar incidents on the Peer Nigaah route.