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12 feared killed in Uttarakhand accident as rain sparks hill havoc
At least three people died in the Rudraprayag bus accident and nine others were missing, with officials fearing that the missing are dead.
Dehradun: At least three people were killed and nine others were missing after a bus with 20 on board veered off the highway in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand and plunged into the Alaknanda river on Thursday morning, officials aware of the matter said, adding that those missing were likely dead.
At least six people were killed and nine others went missing in two separate road accidents in Uttarakhand on Thursday, officials said, adding that nine others sustained injuries and are receiving treatment.
Bus accident in Rudraprayag
In the first case, a 31-seater bus veered off the highway in Gholtir area of Rudraprayag district and plunged into the Alaknanda river at around 7.50am. The bus with 20 people on board was en route from Rudraprayag to Badrinath, officials said.
At least three people died in the incident and nine others were missing, with officials fearing that the missing are dead. “Three people have been confirmed dead, including Vishal Soni (42) from Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh, Dreamy (17) from Surat in Gujarat, Gauri Soni (41) from Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh,” Rudraprayag superintendent of police (SP) Akshay Prahlad Konde said.
State disaster response force (SDRF) media in-charge Vineet Devrani said that the eight people who sustained injuries were thrown off the bus before it submerged in the river. “Rescue teams from the police, fire department, SDRF, and local residents reached the site promptly and began rescue operations,” he said. “The injured who were flung out were brought up to the road and taken to the district hospital in Rudraprayag.”
Rudraprayag chief medical officer Dr Ram Prakash said the four of the injured sustained critical injuries and have been referred to AIIMS Rishikesh. “The four individuals airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh include Deepika Soni (42), Hemlata Soni (45), Ishwar Soni (46), and the bus driver Sumit Kumar (23).”
“A speeding truck came from the opposite side and hit us on my side of the bus after which I lost control and the bus fell into the Alaknanda,” Kumar said.
The SP, however, said, “The preliminary investigations point toward negligence by the driver and a possible mechanical fault in the vehicle as probable causes of the accident,” he said, adding that a first information report (FIR) was registered under sections 125 (endangering life or personal safety of others), 106 (causing death by negligence), and 281 (driving a vehicle negligently on a public road) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)”.
Car accident in Dehradun
In the second accident, three people were killed and another was critically injured after a car fell off a 300-feet-deep gorge near Jajret village in Kalsi area of Dehradun district, police said.
Kalsi police station in-charge Deepak Dhariwal said that the car veered off the road and plunged into the Amlava river. Personnel from police and SDRF rushed to the spot and began a rescue operation.
The deceased were identified as Mukesh Rana (21), Priyanshu Chauhan (22) and Deepak Sati (25). The injured, Mayank Chouhan (20), sustained critical injuries and is receiving treatment at Doon Hospital. Prima facie, the driver lost the control before falling into the gorge, police said.
