Key facts
- Tourist killed in Scorpio SUV accident near Atal Tunnel
- Vehicle fell into an under-construction bridge
- Accident site: Atal Tunnel corridor, Himachal Pradesh
A tourist lost their life after a Scorpio SUV plunged into an under-construction bridge near the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh, according to reports by NDTV and India Today. The accident occurred on one of the most travelled mountain corridors in northern India, a route used heavily by tourists heading to Lahaul and Spiti.
The Atal Tunnel, which connects Manali to the Lahaul Valley, transformed access to the region and has since driven a sharp increase in tourist footfall. The surge in traffic has been accompanied by ongoing infrastructure development in the area — including bridge construction — creating hazards that are not always adequately marked or protected, especially at night or in low-visibility conditions.
Details of exactly how the vehicle left the road and fell into the construction site were not immediately available, but the incident underlines a pattern of road accidents along mountain highways where construction activity intersects with tourist routes. Local administration and highway authorities face persistent criticism for the safety standards maintained at such sites.
The fatality is likely to prompt fresh calls for tighter regulation of construction safety protocols near active tourist routes in Himachal Pradesh, a state that depends heavily on visitor revenue but has seen a rise in road accident fatalities in recent years.