Eight Dead After Bus Plunges Into Gorge In Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh

India

oi-Swastika Sruti

Himachal
Pradesh:
Eight
Killed,
Several
Injured
After
Bus
Falls
Into
Gorge
in
Sirmaur
A
tragic
road
accident
in
Himachal
Pradesh’s
Sirmaur
district
claimed
at
least
eight
lives
and
left
several
others
injured
when
a
private
bus
fell
into
a
deep
gorge
near
Haripurdhar
on
Friday
morning.

The
bus,
which
was
travelling
from
Kupvi
to
Shimla,
lost
control
and
plunged
down
the
steep
hillside,
leading
to
a
major
rescue
operation
in
the
area.

According
to
Superintendent
of
Police
(SP)
Nishchint
Singh
Negi,
there
were
around
30
to
35
passengers
on
board
when
the
incident
occurred.
“Eight
deaths
have
been
confirmed
so
far.
The
number
of
casualties
may
increase
as
rescue
teams
continue
their
work,” he
said.

Local
villagers
were
the
first
to
reach
the
accident
site.
Videos
and
photos
from
the
scene
showed
residents
helping
police
and
emergency
personnel
in
pulling
injured
passengers
out
of
the
wreckage.
Several
people
were
rushed
to
nearby
hospitals
with
serious
injuries.

Rescue
Efforts
Underway

Police,
medical
teams,
and
local
administration
officials
arrived
at
the
scene
soon
after
receiving
the
information.
SP
Nishchint
Singh
Negi
said
that
the
rescue
operations
were
ongoing
and
that
the
injured
were
being
shifted
to
nearby
hospitals
in
Higher
Sangrah,
Dadahu,
and
Nahan
for
treatment.

The
condition
of
at
least
five
passengers
is
said
to
be
critical.
Due
to
the
location
of
the
accident,
rescue
efforts
have
been
difficult,
as
the
bus
fell
into
a
narrow
and
deep
valley
surrounded
by
rough
terrain.

The
cause
of
the
accident
is
not
yet
known.
However,
initial
reports
suggest
that
the
bus
may
have
skidded
off
the
road
due
to
sharp
turns
and
poor
visibility
in
the
hilly
area.
Authorities
are
investigating
whether
speeding
or
mechanical
failure
played
a
role.

Chief
Minister
Expresses
Grief

Himachal
Pradesh
Chief
Minister
Sukhvinder
Singh
Sukhu
expressed
deep
sorrow
over
the
tragic
accident
and
offered
condolences
to
the
families
of
the
deceased.
He
directed
district
officials
to
provide
immediate
assistance
to
the
victims’
families
and
ensure
that
the
injured
receive
the
best
possible
medical
care.

“I
am
deeply
saddened
by
the
loss
of
lives
in
this
unfortunate
accident.
My
prayers
are
with
the
families
of
the
deceased,
and
I
wish
a
speedy
recovery
for
those
injured,” the
Chief
Minister
said
in
a
statement.

Industry
Minister
Harsh
Vardhan
Chauhan
also
instructed
local
authorities
to
make
proper
arrangements
for
the
treatment
of
the
injured
passengers
and
to
monitor
their
condition
closely.

This
latest
tragedy
has
once
again
highlighted
the
dangers
of
driving
on
hilly
roads
in
Himachal
Pradesh,
where
sharp
turns,
narrow
routes,
and
unpredictable
weather
often
make
travel
risky.
Officials
have
urged
all
transport
operators
to
follow
safety
guidelines
strictly
to
prevent
such
accidents
in
the
future.