Twelve persons died and three were injured in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday after a vehicle fell into a 500-metre deep gorge.

The accident took place at the Urgam village in the district’s Joshimath area, PTI reported. Superintendent of Police Pramendra Dobhal said that the passengers were travelling to the Palla Jakhol village from Joshimath.

The vehicle had 17 passengers, and two of them managed to jump out just in time, the official said.

Ten of the victims were men, and two were women. Those who died have been identified as Dilip Singh Chauhan, Sitan Singh Chauhan, Vikram Singh Rawat, Subodh Singh, Kashmira Devi, Laxman Singh, Tajwar Singh, Radha Devi, Gajendra Singh, Ranjeet Singh, Gabbar Singh and Shiv Singh, The Times of India reported.

Most of those who died were from the villages of Kimana, Kalkot, Dumak and Palla.

The injured persons have been identified as Ajit Yadav, Rohit Prajapati and Mahavir Singh. Those who escaped unhurt were Hemant Chauhan and Jeetpal.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered an inquiry by a magistrate into the accident. He said that the kin of those who died will be given Rs 2 lakh each, and the injured persons will be given free treatment.

Dhami said that the news of the accident was “extremely painful” for him, and prayed for the swift recovery of those who sustained injuries.