14 killed, 17 injured as bus falls into gorge in U'khand

Fourteen people were killed and 17 injured when the state-run bus they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge around 15 km from Chamba in Tehri district of Uttarakhand today.

The accident occurred near Kirgani village on Chamba-Uttarkashihighway around 8.20 am.

The Haridwar-bound Uttarakhand Roadways bus plunged into a 250-metre deep gorge, killing thirteen people on the spot and leaving eighteen injured, Tehri District Magistrate Sonika said.

One of the injured persons died at the hospital during treatment, she said.

Eleven seriously injured were flown in choppers to AIIMS, Rishikesh while the rest were undergoing treatment at district hospital Baurari and Masihi hospital Chamba, she said.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat expressed deep grief at the loss of lives in the accident and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 for those injured.

Police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams along with senior officials were rushed to the spot to conduct rescue operations.

Cabinet Ministers Yashpal Arya and Subodh Uniyal accompanied byGarhwal Commissioner Shailesh Bagoli and DIG Ajay Rautela also visited the spot.

In a similar accident on July 1, 48 people were killed near Dhumakot in Pauri district of the state when the bus they were travelling in fell into a gorge.