Four persons died on the spot and one was seriously injured when the car they were travelling in, from Rishikesh to Pauri, fell into a deep ravine near Umrasu beyond Deoprayag around 5 a.m. on Saturday.
Extreme cold and very poor visibility caused the mishap, police said.
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna condoled the deaths and ordered the officials to immediately pay the prescribed ex gratia relief to the next of kin of those killed. Mr. Bahuguna advised motorists to avoid driving into the hills during night and early morning when visibility was very poor.
