Three government media officials were killed and two others injured after their vehicle veered off the road and plunged down a slope in Mizoram on Thursday.
The victims were identified as Dr Engam Pame, Additional Director General of the PIB and CBC Regional Office in Imphal; Nampibou Marinmai, Director (News), Doordarshan Kendra Aizawl; and H Lianvela, a Multi-Tasking Staff member at the Central Bureau of Communication's Field Office in Aizawl.
Condoling the deaths of three officials in a road accident, Mizoram Governor General (Retd.) Vijay Kumar Singh said the tragedy was an irreparable loss to the media community.
The Ministry of Defence also condoled the death of Nampibou Maranmai.
According to police sources, Dr Engam Pame was in Mizoram for meetings related to the Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee (IMPCC) and work connected to the recruitment of a translator for PIB Aizawl.
On Thursday, he and his colleagues travelled to Sialsuk. While returning to Aizawl, their vehicle reportedly met with an accident near Sateek. The vehicle is said to have veered off the road and fallen down a roadside slope.
The driver and another occupant sustained injuries in the crash and were taken for medical treatment.
Rescue operations were hampered by the steep and difficult terrain where the vehicle fell. Personnel from Sialsuk Police and members of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) were engaged in rescue and recovery efforts.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances that led to the accident. Further details on the injured persons and the cause of the crash are awaited.
