Horror! Bus falls into gorge in U'khand, killing 36 people

Dehradun: In a deadly bus accident in Uttarakhand, a privately operated bus fell into a deep gorge in Almora district on Monday and killed at least 36 people and injured 24, PTI reported.

The 43-seater bus plunged into a 200-metre gorge and landed close to a rivulet in Almora's Marchula area just 35 km before its destination Ramnagar, it is learned.

Four of the injured are serious, out of which three were airlifted to AIIMS, Rishikesh and one was taken to Sushila Tiwari Hospital, Haldwani, Almora District Disaster Management Officer Vineet Pal said.

There were around 60 people on board the 43-seater bus when the accident took place, he said, adding that overloading of the vehicle could have led to the accident.

District Magistrate Alok Kumar Pandey said the bus, operated by the Garhwal Motor Owner Association, was on its way from Pauri in the Garhwal region to Ramnagar in Kumaon, about 250 km away, when the accident took place around 8 am. It is an overnight journey.

Police and personnel of the National and State Disaster Response Forces rushed to the spot to launch a search and rescue operation, he added.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the next of those killed in the accident and financial assistance of Rs one lakh for the injured, according to an official statement. Officials said the chief minister was on his way to the accident spot.

Assistant Regional Transport Officers of Pauri and Almora were suspended following the accident, during which a magisterial probe was ordered.

According to PTI, the vehicle was reduced to a mangled mess as it rolled down the woody and rocky slope next to a stream, which gives the magnitude of the accident.