42 passengers dead ,many Injured after ‘Overloaded’ Bus Tumbles into Gorge in Kullu District
KULLU/ CHANDIGRAH : As many as 42 passengers were killed and more than 30 injured on Thursday after their bus fell in a gorge in the mountainous Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, officials said. according to officials. Seventy passengers were reportedly on board when the accident took place near Banjar.
The ill-fated private bus was on its way from Kullu to Gadagushaini when it plunged into a deep gorge near Bhauet at Banjar Subdivision of Kullu district around 5:00 pm today.
With rescue operations in progress, the death toll is expected to rise. Kullu Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri said the private bus (bearing registration number HP 66-7065) fell into the over 300m-deep nullah near the Dhoth Morh in Banjar tehsil of the district. The bus was on its way to Gada Gushaini. Agnihotri added that 15 bodies have been recovered so far, according to news agency ANI.
Prima facie, overloading and negligent driving may have caused the accident, said Banjar Patwari Sheetal Kumar. Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed grief over the accident.
The latter has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, said an official spokesperson, adding that Thakur has also asked the administration to provide the best possible medicare to the injured passengers.Most of the victims of the accident were residents of various areas in Kullu district.
The injured are undergoing treatment at the Banjar Civil Hospital and the Kullu district hospital, officials said, adding that there was a possibility that the death toll might rise. State Transport Minister Govind Singh Thakur also left for Kullu from Shimla after learning about the accident.The Kullu district administration announced an immediate relief of Rs 50,000 each to the kin of the deceased and the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the incident on Twitter.Deeply saddened by the bus accident in Kullu. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. I hope the injured recover soon. The Himachal Pradesh Government is providing all possible assistance that is required
The number of deaths could rise as several passengers were sitting on top of the bus, reports said.
The private bus was filled with nearly 70 people when it plunged into a 500-foot deep gorge near the Dhoth Morh in Banjar tehsil of the district. The bus was on its way to Gada Gushaini, about 60 km from Kullu. (With Agency Inputs ).
