12 dead, 38 injured as bus falls down valley in Himachal Pradesh

A Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus en-route Reckong Peo from Dharamshala fell into a valley in Galu area of Jogindernagar sub division of Mandi district on Saturday evening.

A Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus en-route Reckong Peo from Dharamshala fell into a valley in Galu area of Jogindernagar sub division of Mandi district on Saturday evening.

The number of casualties has reached 12 as another person succumbed to his injuries at RP Medical College Tanda (Kangra) on Sunday morning.

20 injured were admitted to the Jogindernagar civil hospital, 18 referred to RP Medical College Tanda while three were released after providing first aid. A six-year-old girl is the youngest victim of the incident.

The HRTC bus rolled more than 120 ft down a valley. It is said that bus was overtaking another bus when accident occurred.

The accident took place at Galu in the Jogindernagar sub division of Mandi district at about 9pm. The 45-seater bus was jam packed.

Police control room said the postmortem and identification process of the victims was underway.

Police and administration, including deputy commissioner Sandeep Kadam, superintendent of police Prem Thakur, Jogindernagar sub divisional magistrate Rahul Chauhan and police personnel reached the spot immediately after receiving information. It is said that rescue operation concluded at wee hours on Sunday.

Villagers who noticed the accident informed the police and the transport department in Mandi. Locals began helping and taxi operators voluntarily carried injured to civil hospital.

It is said that police took help of JCB to remove parts of the bus to search people underneath.