At least three people were killed and more than 12 others injured after a Himachal Roadways bus lost control and plunged into a nearly 100-metre-deep gorge near Kuanu village on Meenak Road in the Kalsi region of Dehradun district on Tuesday.
The bus, which was travelling from Nerwa in Himachal Pradesh to Paonta Sahib, met with the accident near Chakrata, triggering a rescue operation involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and local residents.
Confirming the incident, SDRF media in-charge Vinit Devrani said that rescue teams were immediately mobilised on the directions of SDRF commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi. “Rescue teams from SDRF posts in Dakpathar, Chakrata, Mori and Tyuni were rushed to the spot, and a coordinated rescue operation was launched,” he said.
Three passengers,two women and one man ,died on the spot, while several others sustained serious injuries. “More than 12 injured passengers, six to seven of them critically injured, have been referred to the hospital in Vikas Nagar for advanced treatment,” Devrani added.
The deceased have been identified as Yasmin Begum (46), wife of Nek Mohammad, resident of village Kyarla, Nerwa (Himachal Pradesh); Richa (30), wife of Virendra, resident of village Bijmal, tehsil Nerwa, Shimla district (Himachal Pradesh) and Dhan Bahadur, resident of village Kyarla, Nerwa. Dinesh Kumar (54), son of Mohan Singh, resident of village Popat, Shimla district, who is the driver of the bus, is among the i injured.
{{/usCountry}}The deceased have been identified as Yasmin Begum (46), wife of Nek Mohammad, resident of village Kyarla, Nerwa (Himachal Pradesh); Richa (30), wife of Virendra, resident of village Bijmal, tehsil Nerwa, Shimla district (Himachal Pradesh) and Dhan Bahadur, resident of village Kyarla, Nerwa. Dinesh Kumar (54), son of Mohan Singh, resident of village Popat, Shimla district, who is the driver of the bus, is among the i injured.
{{/usCountry}}Rishabh Kumar, district disaster management officer (DDMO), Dehradun, said the vehicle involved was a Himachal Roadways bus carrying 36 passengers, including the driver and conductor, at the time of the accident. “The bus was on its scheduled route from Nerwa to Paonta Sahib when it met with the accident,” he said.
According to survivors, the bus went out of control while a small vehicle was attempting to overtake the bus on the narrow hill road.
Local villagers were the first to respond after hearing screams from the gorge and immediately alerted the police and administration. “We heard a loud bang, and when we rushed out, we saw that the bus had fallen into the deep gorge. We immediately informed the police,” said Himmat Singh Rana, a resident of Kuanu village.
All injured passengers have been rescued and admitted to nearby hospitals, where they are undergoing treatment. Police officials said a case has been registered and an investigation has been initiated to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.
Teams dispatched to mishap site
According to information, 3 people have lost their lives in this accident. There were around 32 passengers on board the bus.
As soon as the information about the accident was received, teams of HRTC officials from Shimla and Sirmaur left for the accident site. Instructions have also been given for the SDM, Dy SP, and RTO, Nahan, to reach the spot from Choupal.
“In this serious situation, cooperation has also been sought from the Uttarakhand government,” said Agnihotri who expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Education minister Rohit Thakur directed the local administration to provide all possible assistance to the families of the deceased and to ensure better medical treatment facilities for the injured.
Airlift injured persons: Sukhu
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed the deputy commissioner to provide all possible assistance to the next of kin of the deceased and best of treatment to the injured persons. He said, if necessary, services of helicopters should also be taken for lifting the injured persons.