48 killed in Uttarakhand bus mishap

Dehradun: At least 48 people were killed and 11 others injured when a bus fell into a deep gorge in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district on Sunday, the police said. The incident occurred near Gween village, close to Dhumakot in the district, when the private bus, carrying 58 passengers, on its way to Ramnagar, fell into a 200-metre deep gorge, Pauri Superintendent of Police Jagat Ram Joshi said.

At least 45 people were killed on the spot and 13 others injured. Later, three more succumbed to their injuries at the PHC Dhumakot, where the injured were immediately rushed after rescue teams reached the spot, he said. Two critically injured, out of the remaining 11, were referred to Ramnagar, whereas nine are still under treatment at the Dhumakot PHC.   

Though the exact cause of the accident is not known, but the bus was overloaded, he said. Rescue operations were carried out by police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel, he said, adding that all the bodies have been recovered and the injured rescued from the mangled remains of the bus. Governor K K Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.

The Chief Minister has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident, besides announcing a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the injured, the CMO said. Rawat may also visit the spot later in the day if the weather permits, it said.