Uttarakhand bus accident: The mangled remains of the private bus.
At least 48 people were killed and 12 others injured when an overloaded 28-seater bus fell into a 200-foot gorge near Queen village in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district on Sunday. Among those killed were the bus driver, 16 women and 10 children.
Pauri District Magistrate Sushil Kumar said, “Rescue teams found 45 people dead on the spot. Three others died while they were being taken to a hospital in Dhumakot, 7 kilometres from the accident spot.”
Some of the victims were residents of Dehradun, while some belonged to villages in Pauri district, an official at the Disaster Control Room in Pauri said.
On Sunday morning, the bus had started from Bhoan in Pauri district for Ramnagar in Nainital district, approximately 70 kilometres away. Seven kilometres from the starting point near Queen village, the bus fell into a gorge, Pauri Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jagat Ram Joshi said.
Uttarakhand bus accident: The bus was carrying around 55-60 passengers at the time of the accident.
The accident took place at 8.45 am and rescue teams, comprising police officers, local residents, and the district administration reached the spot at 9 am. The SDRF later joined the rescue operation that continued till 1 pm.
Uttarakhand bus accident: SDRF personnel heading to the accident spot.
The reasons for the accident could not be ascertained till Sunday evening, SSP Joshi said. “We have been told that the bus was overloaded. However, we cannot reach a conclusion right now whether that was the reason for the accident,” he said.
Some of the injured were admitted to a hospital in Ramnagar, while three were taken to the AIIMS in Rishikesh. “Of the 12 injured people, three have been taken to AIIMS, Rishikesh,” Joshi said.
After the accident, the Prime Minister’s Office took to Twitter to extend condolences to the families of the victims. “Extremely saddened by the bus accident in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest. Rescue operations are underway and authorities are providing all possible assistance at the accident site: PM,” the PMO tweeted.
Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat, who visited the accident spot, ordered a magisterial probe into the accident. Rawat ordered Rs 2 lakh compensation for the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 for each injured person. Following Rawat’s orders, a magisterial probe was initiated in the evening.