Bus falls into gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi; 8 dead, 21 injured | Chandigarh News
KULLU: Eight people died and 21 others were injured when a Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation bus plunged into a gorge in Mandi district Thursday morning. Six of the dead were elderly.The accident occurred at a sharp bend near Maseran, 160km from Shimla, around 9.45am. According to eyewitnesses, the driver had edged slightly off the road, and the retaining wall gave way, plunging the bus into a 50ft-deep gorge.Locals immediately clambered down the steep slopes and began a rescue effort. They helped bring the injured out of the bus after calling medical and emergency services. The injured were first taken to Sarkaghat govt hospital, 85km away, from where those in serious condition were referred to AIIMS-Bilaspur and GMCH, Nerchowk, in Mandi district.According to a police officer, five people died on the spot, three others succumbed in hospital. The deceased, which included four women, were identified as Geeta Devi, 65, Doma Devi, 70, Klasi Devi, 60, Barfi Devi, 80, Antariksh, 17, Balbir, 60, and Suman Kumar, 33. All the victims were residents of Sarkaghat sub-division in Mandi district. Prakash Chand, 70, who was referred to AIIMS Bilaspur, also succumbed.Local MLA Dilip Thakur, who met the injured, said that the govt must improve the infrastructure at Sarkaghat govt hospital, which doesn’t have “requisite ambulances or ultrasound machines”.Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri also visited Sarkaghat and met the injured at the hospital. Expressing grief over the bus accident, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed the Mandi district administration to provide ex gratia to the next of kin of the deceased and the best treatment to the injured.Agnihotri said a judicial probe had been ordered into the accident. Agnihotri, who met the injured and inspected the accident site, said a technical team from the transport department is working to determine the cause of the accident.The government has announced immediate relief assistance of Rs 25,000 each for the families of the deceased and Rs 5,000 each for the injured.
