Bengaluru, June 1 : BJP Karnataka President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Monday expressed shock and grief over the death of seven Bengaluru residents in a tragic road accident near Sach Pass in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.

In a statement posted on social media, Vijayendra said he was deeply saddened to learn that a total of eight people, including seven members of two families from Bengaluru, lost their lives in the horrific accident that occurred while they were on a vacation.

"It is extremely shocking to learn that eight people, including seven members of two Bengaluru families, were killed in the tragic accident near Sach Pass in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It is truly heartbreaking that families who had gone on a holiday met with such a tragic end," he said.

Vijayendra urged the Karnataka government to coordinate with the Himachal Pradesh government to ensure all necessary assistance is provided to the bereaved families.

He called upon the state government to facilitate the transportation of the mortal remains of the victims back to Bengaluru and extend all possible support to the affected families during this difficult time.

Praying for the departed souls, Vijayendra expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and said he hoped they would find the strength to cope with the irreparable loss.

"I pray for eternal peace for the departed souls and for God to give the grieving family members the strength to bear this unexpected tragedy," he said.

It can be noted that a tragic road accident in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district claimed eight lives after a tourist taxi plunged into a deep gorge near Sach Pass. The vehicle was travelling on the Bairagarh-Killar route when it met with the fatal accident at a sharp bend near Kalaban.

The accident occurred when the car was going towards the snow-bound Sach Pass, one of the toughest stretches in Himachal Pradesh, the officials said.

Police said a car carrying tourists fell into a steep gorge around midnight on the 29th of May. Following an intensive search and rescue operation carried out under difficult terrain conditions, authorities recovered all eight bodies from the accident site.

According to police, the tourists had arrived in Himachal Pradesh for sightseeing and were staying at a hotel in Dalhousie. They had left for Sach Pass on the 29th of May but did not return by evening. The hotel management informed the police, following which a search operation was launched.

/IANS