Almora (Uttarakhand): Panic and grief spread across Uttarakhand’s Almora district on Tuesday morning after a passenger bus skidded off a hilly road and plunged into a deep gorge in the Bhikiyasen area, killing at least seven people and injuring several others, officials said.
The accident occurred when the bus, which was travelling from Bhikiyasen towards Ramnagar, lost control near the Vinayak region and fell into the gorge. Preliminary information suggests that around 17 to 18 passengers were onboard at the time of the mishap.
Following the incident, police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel and local administration teams rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. Due to the steep terrain and the depth of the gorge, initial rescue efforts faced significant challenges.
SDRF Commandant IPS Arpan Yaduvanshi said the Almora district control room received information about the accident early in the morning, prompting the immediate deployment of rescue teams. According to preliminary reports, six to seven passengers died on the spot, while several others sustained injuries.
The injured passengers were rescued from the wreckage and taken to the government hospital in Bhikiyasen for medical treatment. Police and district administration officials remain present at the site as rescue and relief operations continue.
While the exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined, officials suspect the bus lost control on the hilly stretch. An inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the circumstances leading to the tragedy.
