Author:
| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Updated: Jun 06, 2022, 12:04 PM IST
In the tragic Uttarkashi bus accident, at least 26 people lost their lives when a bus full of pilgrims fell into a deep gorge near Damta in Uttarakhand. Another four people are seriously injured in this accident, who are been treated in a hospital. Uttarakhand Police has said that the search and rescue operation has been completed.
A total of 30 people, including 28 pilgrims, were in this bus. All these pilgrims had come from Madhya Pradesh to Uttarakhand on the Char Dham yatra. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited the spot on Monday morning and consoled the relatives of the dead and the injured. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami was also present with him.
Read | Uttarkashi tragedy: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan leaves for Uttarakhand, helpline number released
Addressing the reporters, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan told that the accident occured due to steering wheel failure of the bus. The Chief Minister quoted the bus driver, who is injured, that he lost control on the steering leading to this accident. He added that efforts will be made to send the bodies of the dead to Khajuraho today and get the last rites done.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government has ordered a magisterial-level probe into the incident.
Damta | The bus driver told us that accident happened due to steering wheel failure... But still we have ordered a magisterial-level probe into it: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Uttarkashi bus accident pic.twitter.com/5sOpFVf9Ir
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 6, 2022
According to the information received from the local people, the bus full of pilgrims was moving at a high speed. The driver lost control of the bus while giving way to the vehicle coming from the front. To avoid a head on collision, he took a sharp cut leading the bus to come off the road and fall into a 500 meter deep gorge.
At the time of the accident, the speed of the bus was so high that it got blown up due to falling in the ditch and the passengers in it were scattered everywhere. As soon as the news of this accident was received, the relief and rescue teams along with the police immediately reached the spot. However, by then many people had died.
After an overnight effort, they recovered the bodies of 26 people, while four seriously injured were taken to a local hospital. All the pilgrims who were in the bus which met with an accident were residents of Madhya Pradesh. An amount of Rs 5 lakh each has been announced for the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
PM Narendra Modi has announced an assistance of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident and Rs 50,000 each for the injured. At the same time, compensation of one lakh will be given to the kin of the deceased from the accident relief fund of Uttarakhand Transport Department.
