48 die as bus falls into gorge in India
Monday, 2 July 2018
Uttarakhand, July 01 (Agencies): At least 48 people have been killed and another critically injured after a bus fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand's Paudi Garhwal district on Sunday.
The accident took place on the Pipali-Bhoan motorway in Pauri Garhwal's Nainidanda block, reported NDTV news.
The police and a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are engaged in rescue operations.
The injured was rushed to the hospital.
The number of casualties is expected to rise, said Garhwal commissioner Dilip Jawal.
Meanwhile, the 28-seater bus carrying 58 persons was on its way to Ramnagar in Nainital district when the fatal mishap took place on Pipli-Bhaun motor road at around 8:40 am.
Giving details, senior superintendent of police of Pauri Jagat Ram Joshi told TOI, “There are 47 confirmed casualties in the accident and 11 persons got injured, who have been taken to hospitals in Ramnagar and Haldwani for treatment. The seriously injured are being air lifted to Dehradun.”
The State Disaster Response Force and Pauri police rushed to the spot and launched a rescue and relief operation. From Dehradun, DIG Garhwal Pushpak Jyoti and additional SDRF team also left for the accident spot in a chopper.
While expressing grief over the accident, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announced Rs 0.2 million each to kin of victims who lost their lives in the accident and Rs 50,000 each to the injured persons.