Shimla, May 29 -- Three women lost their lives and nine people, including a six-year-old boy, sustained injuries after a vehicle they were travelling in plunged into a deep gorge in Kullu district, police said on Thursday. Driver Jai Singh (43), who was among the injured, said brake failure triggered the mishap. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway, officials said. The deceased have been identified as Maina Devi (37), Kalawati (40) and Kali Devi (35). Among the injured are Ayansh Thakur (6), Mala Devi (39), Anju (26), Kamla (35), Tara Thakur (25), Promila Devi (35), Chitru Devi (37) and Savitra (43), all residents of Kullu district. The injured have been admitted to a local hospital while two critically injured individuals- Tara Thakur and her son Ayansh-have been referred to AIIMS in Bilaspur. The accident took place near Badai Nullah on Kullu-Peej link road when the victims were going from Shilnal gram panchayat after casting their votes to Kullu to attend a local fair. The police said that the vehicle (Tata Sumo) broke through the roadside parapet and plummeted approximately 350 feet into the gorge. Police and fire personnel, along with local residents, initiated a rescue operation. Local MLA Sundar Singh Thakur met the injured at the hospital. Kullu superintendent of police (SP) Madan Lal said the exact reason behind the mishap was being looked into. The bodies have been sent to the regional hospital in Kullu for a postmortem examination. Deputy commissioner Anurag Chander Sharma said immediate relief of Rs.20,000 each has been released to the families of the deceased, and Rs.5,000 each has been released to four injured individuals. Those who have been referred to AIIMS-Bilaspur have been given Rs.10,000 each, he added....