At least 14 people have lost their lives and over 20 others sustained injuries after a private bus fell into a 500-feet deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district on Friday afternoon.
The bus, which was travelling from Shimla to Kupvi via Rajgarh, reportedly went off the road near Haripurdhar village and tumbled down the gorge. The vehicle landed upside down at the site of the accident, located around 95 kilometres from the district headquarters in Nahan, according to reports from news agency PTI. Rescue operations are underway, and authorities are working to reach the injured and retrieve those trapped at the accident site.
Eight Dead, Rescue Underway
According to Sirmaur Superintendent of Police Nishchit Negi, around 30 to 35 passengers were travelling on the bus at the time of the accident. He also added that rescue and evacuation operations were underway. Police, local residents, and emergency response teams immediately reached the spot and began efforts to pull the injured from the mangled vehicle. Several videos of the rescue operation have since gone viral on social media.
Administration On Alert, Aid Deployed
“The injured are being evacuated, and relief operations are continuing,” SP Negi said. Industry Minister and local MLA from the Shallai assembly segment, Harshwardhan Chauhan, said the district administration had been placed on high alert. Medical teams and doctors have been kept ready at Dadahu, Sangrah, and Nahan hospitals to handle emergencies. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed deep grief over the loss of lives in the accident.
He directed district authorities to provide all possible assistance to the families of the deceased and ensure the best medical treatment for the injured.