Shimla, June 15
Sixteen persons were killed and five injured when a bus of the state road transport corporation fell into a 300-foot-deep gorge near Bhadrash Kainchi in Rampur subdivision today.

The ill-fated bus (HP 06-7522) was on its way from Basheri to Rampur. While bus conductor Gagan (33) died on the spot, driver Kewal Ram was seriously injured
in the accident.

There were 21 passengers in the bus when the accident took place. Five seriously injured persons were brought to the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital, Shimla, and one was admitted to a hospital at Khaneri. Ashok of Paljara village, who was seriously injured in the accident, died on way to Shimla.

The bus was descending a steep gradient when the driver probably failed to negotiate a hairpin bend and the vehicle rolled down the gorge. Chief general manager of the corporation Rajiv Gupta said the exact cause would be known only after an inquiry.

The administration had hard time in organising relief and rescue operations because of the inclement weather. Local villagers had started the rescue operations and taken some of the victims to a hospital even before the authorities could reach
the spot.

A pall of gloom descended on Khanevali village that lost eight lives in the mishap. Two families lost two members each, Chanan Singh and his son Sheesh Pal and Ajay and his sister Sandhya. Saroj Mehta and her daughter Akshita Mehta from the same village were seriously injured.

The dependents of each of the deceased were given Rs 10,000, while the injured got Rs 5,000 each as immediate relief. Deputy commissioner J.S. Rana said a magisterial inquiry had been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. SDM Dalip Negi would conduct the probe.

Governor V.S. Kokje and Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal have expressed shock over the loss of lives and conveyed their sympathies to the bereaved families.

Those killed were: Gulab Singh (20), Chanan Singh (45), Radha Krishan (34), Ajay Kumar (17), Sheesh Pal (22), Prem Bahadur (50), Usha Kumari (36) and Sandhya (15), all from nearby Khanevali village, Prem Lata (36) and Damodar Dass (48), both from Nehra, Mashu Ram (60) of Masharna, Urmila Devi (35) of Kuwanu, Akshay Kumar (14) and Shukra Dev (72), both from Khawaru.

Among the injured, Sandeep Kumar (22) of Paljara was hospitalised at Rampur, while four others, Saroj Mehta (39) and Akshita Mehta (15), both from Khanevali village, and Kundan Lal (40) of Ginch and Kewal Ram (driver) were admitted to IGMC, Shimla.