As many as twelve people were killed and over 35 suffered injuries after a private bus fell into a deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district on Friday. The bus, bound for Kupvi in Himachal Pradesh, plunged into the gorge after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle.
Himachal Pradesh authorities said the accident occurred when the bus en veered off the road and plunged into the gorge and landed upside down near Haripurdhar village, about 95 kilometres from the district headquarters, Nahan. Authorities said that though the bus only had a seating capacity for 39 passengers, it was overloaded.
District administration authorities said rescue efforts are progressing at war-footing and the injured were rushed to Sangrah and Dadahu hospitals. Himachal Pradesh industry minister and local MLA Harshwardhan Chauhan said the district administration has been put on alert, and medical teams and doctors at Dadahu, Sangrah and Nahan hospitals are prepared for emergency. He said the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained and expressed condolences on the incident.
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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu condoled the incident and directed authorities to provide all possible medical care for the injured. "Instructions have been issued to the district administration to provide every possible assistance to the families of the deceased and to ensure the best medical facilities for the injured, so that the affected families may receive support during this difficult time," Sukhu said in a statement on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and announced solatium for kin of the deceased. "The loss of lives due to a bus mishap in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, is extremely saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000," PMO said in a statement.