Dehradun/Gopeshwar | Seven persons, including a pilgrim couple from Maharashtra, were killed and six others injured in three separate road accidents in Uttarakhand, officials said on Saturday.

In the first incident, three members of a family were killed and three others injured when their vehicle plunged into a deep gorge near Lwani village on the Rupkund road in Chamoli district late Friday night.

The police said the victims were returning to their village in Bank Lohajung after collecting the body of a relative, Bhajan Singh, who had died during treatment in Dehradun. The body was being transported in a private ambulance, while six family members were travelling in a separate vehicle that fell into a gorge around 400-500 metres deep.

The deceased were identified as Balbir Singh Bisht (52), his wife Shanti Devi (48) and their son Anshu Bisht (18). The injured have been admitted to the hospital.

In another accident, a car carrying pilgrims lost control and fell into a deep gorge near Ganganani in Uttarkashi district late Friday night. A couple from Maharashtra died on the spot, while three others sustained injuries.

The deceased were identified as Damodar Hariramji Ramtekkar (77) and his wife Laxmi Damodar Ramtekkar (67), residents of Nagpur. The injured included Vimal Kumar Pradhan (67) of Odisha, his wife Upasana Pradhan (54), and Yashveer from Punjab.

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel carried out rescue operations under difficult conditions during the night.

In the third incident, a tractor-trolley went out of control and plunged into a 100-metre-deep gorge near Gadholi village on the Bageshwar Road in Almora district on Friday, killing both occupants on the spot.

The deceased were identified as Umesh (22), a resident of Uttar Pradesh, and Chatte Raji (26), a Nepali national.