PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun Eight people died and three sustained injuries after the jeep they were travelling in fell into a 150-metre-deep gorge near a village in Pithoragarh district on Tuesday. The chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also expressed condolences over the loss of lives. The Pithoragarh superintendent of police Rekha Yadav said that as per the locals present at the time of the mishap, the vehicle was on its way from Muwani village under Thal police station to Bokta village. The driver of the vehicle appeared to have lost control while negotiating a turn, according to the police’s initial inquiry. Yadav told The Pioneer that the incident occurred on Tuesday evening and the police were informed about the accident at about 5:30 PM. She said that the vehicle plunged off the road and fell into a river. “All eight people who died, including a schoolgirl, were residents of the Bokta area. Three injured passengers are currently undergoing treatment at the primary health centre in Muwani”, she said. The SP informed that the police and district administration teams reached the site and were carrying out rescue operations till late on Tuesday. Yadav said that the vehicle was just a short distance away from its destination when the driver lost control. “The investigation is under way and the police are yet to ascertain the cause of the accident,” she added.