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Kullu bus mishap: Himachal CM orders magisterial probe, announces ₹5 lakh ex-gratia
Twelve people, including two teenagers, were killed when the bus they were travelling in skidded off the road and plunged into a 200-metre gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu; Himachal CM , who was in Hyderabad to attend the BJP’s national executive meeting, flew to spot after the bus mishap
After 12 people were killed when the bus they were travelling in skidded off the road and plunged into a 200-metre gorge in Kullu, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, who was in Hyderabad to attend the BJP’s national executive meeting, flew to spot and ordered a magisterial probe into the mishap.
“The accident took place as the driver tried to cross a stretch which had been hit by a landslide. The causalities took place due to impact of the bus hitting the ground after flying off a steep cliff,” he said, adding that the remoteness of the area had impacted the rescue operation.
The CM also announced ₹5 lakh ex-gratia relief to the families of the victim, and promised to provide all possible help to the injured.
Twelve people, including two teenagers, were killed when the bus they were travelling in skidded off the road and plunged into a 200-metre gorge near Jangla village in Sainj sub-tehsil, around 65 kilometers from the district headquarters of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, on Monday morning.
Eleven people died on the spot, while one succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The deceased are Armina Tanu, 20, Fateh Chand, 70, Anita Devi, 19, Sushil Kumar, 21, Khim Devi, 40, Roshi Devi, 45, Paravti Devi, 40, and Jhablu Devi, 28, of Kullu, Amit Kumar Rajak, 22, of Bihar and a Nepalese woman Bin Maya, 30, and her son Akash, 16.
Three others were injured in the mishap that took place around 8:45am when the bus was on its way from Shainshar to Sainj. Local residents were first to rush to the scene before the arrival of rescue teams. Kullu police superintendent Gurdev Chand Sharma said police personnel, firefighters, and home guards rushed to the spot as soon as they were informed of the mishap.
“There were 15 passengers on the bus at the time of the mishap. The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained,” he said, adding that the injured have been shifted to the Kullu regional hospital.
PM, prez express grief
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the accident heart-rending and announced ₹2 lakh compensation each for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives. “In this tragic hour my thoughts are with the bereaved families,” the Prime Minister’s Office quoted him as saying. “I hope those injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected.”
In a tweet, President Ram Nath Kovind said he was distressed to know about the death of students and other people in the accident and offered deepest condolences to the bereaved families. “My deepest condolences to the bereaved families who lost their children and loved ones in this accident. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.”
BJP national president JP Nadda, Union minister of transport and highways Nitin Gadkari and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan also expressed grief on the accident.
