22 killed as pilgrim bus falls into gorge in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand: In a heart wrenching incident, at least 22 persons were killed after pilgrim bus fell into gorge near Damta in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand this evening.

The bus fell into the gorge while it was on its way to Yamunotri from Panna district in Madhya Pradesh, said sources adding that as many as six people have been injured following the road accident.

On being informed, the local administration along with the SDRF teams reached the spot and carried out the rescue operation. An NDRF team is also rushing to the spot to join the rescue work, said sources.

Bodies of 22 persons were recovered and six injured persons were also rescued and rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the loss of life due to the road mishap and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs each for the families of the deceased. He also announced financial help of Rs 50,000 each for the injured in a bus accident.