Dhar (MP), Jun 28 (PTI) A couple from Madhya Pradesh, who was killed along with three others in the accident of a minibus in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, was cremated near Rajgarh in Dhar district on Saturday in the presence of a large number of people.
Vishal Soni (45) and his wife Gauri (41) were killed after the tempo traveller carrying them fell into the Alaknanda river near Gholthir village in Rudraprayag on June 26.
Their bodies were brought to Rajgarh town by the relatives during the day. As a mark of respect for the departed souls, local jewellers kept the shops shut as Soni belonged to their trading community.
A large number of people gathered at their residence on Veer Savarkar Road to pay their last respects. The bodies were taken to the cremation ground in an emotionally-charged atmosphere.
The couple was survived by two daughters – Cheeki and Mishti – and son Parth, who miraculously escaped the accident.
The funeral pyre was lit by the three children, who were inconsolable.
The 31-seater bus carrying the Soni couple and other pilgrims from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to Badrinath lost control between Rudraprayag and Gauchar and fell into the surging Alaknanda river.
At the time of the accident, there were 20 people on the minibus, including the driver.
The body of a Gujarat native was retrieved from along the Alaknanda river in Pauri district, around 40 km away from the spot where her bus fell into the river, officials said on Saturday.
Eight people injured in the accident, including the driver are under treatment, four of them at Rudraprayag district hospital and as many at AIIMS, Rishikesh, they said. PTI COR MAS NP
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.