Shimla: At least ten people, including school children, were killed and 20 injured on Monday when a private bus rolled into a 200-feet deep gorge in the interiors of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh, police said.
Most of the victims were locals and were going to schools and offices. The accident occurred in the Sainj valley.
Kullu Deputy Commissioner Ashutosh Garg said the Sainj-bound bus fell into the gorge near Jangla village at around 8.30 a.m.
Most of the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital in Sainj town.
Eyewitnesses said the administration has been facing a tough time extricating the victims from the badly-mangled bus.
People in the area began the rescue operation even before the local authorities reached the spot.
Expressing grief over the accident, Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said the administration had reached the spot and the injured were being taken to hospital.
The Prime Minister’s office has tweeted that the families of those killed in the accident would receive a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each.
The bus accident in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh is heart-rending. In this tragic hour my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 4, 2022
The Prime Minister has approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the tragic bus accident in Himachal Pradesh. The injured would be given ₹ 50,000 each,” it said.
Ms Kalinga