Dharamsala, November 6
An overcrowded private bus fell into a 200-ft-deep gorge which claimed lives of 34 passengers and left 32 critically injured this morning. The dead include six children, 13 females and 15 males.
According to sources, though the seating capacity of the bus was 32, there were over 66 persons on board, including the roof of the bus.
The private bus of Happy transport company fell into the gorge of the Bandher rivulet between Haripur and Guler villages at about 10.30 am today.
Eyewitness told The Tribune the driver of the bus failed to negotiate a sharp curve and the bus fell into the rivulet breaking the concrete roadside embankment.
The entire body of the bus was crushed leading to fatal injuries to passengers sitting inside. Passengers sitting on the roof top also died after being crushed under the bus body.
Nineteen passengers died on the spot, while nine died at the Haripur hospital located 2 km from the accident spot. Two injured patients died at Dehra hospital and four later at Tanda Medical College, the sources added.
Khushi Ram Mehra, the eyewitness, raised an alarm following which local residents rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation.
Karam Chand, an ex-serviceman and pradhan of Guler village, led the rescue operation and pulled the injured out of the mangled remains of the bus.
Meanwhile, the ADM, who was present at the spot, said the government had announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh to the kin of the deceased, Rs 25,000 for those who had sustained serious injuries and Rs 10,000 to those who sustained minor injuries.
RS Gupta, DC, Kangra, said they were helping the kin in making arrangements for conducting the the last rites of the deceased.
The accident also brought to the fore the lack of basic health facilities in rural areas of the state. There was hardly any ambulance available at the spot. Kin of the injured were seen carrying the patients in pick up vehicles or private cars to Tanda Medical College.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Dhawala reached the spot and expressed grief.
The deceased in the accident include Alka of Gadutar village, Anil of Guler, Laxmi Devi, Bal Singh, Gaytari Devi, Lachni, Sunil, all residents of Bilaspur, Roshani Devi, resident of Badhutar, Kashmir, his wife Santosh, Chanderwati, Maya, Bimla, Lakshman, Puja, Sonu, Babli, Mangal, Parkashodevi and Lakhvi, all belonging to one family from Sudernagar area of Haryana, Jaswant Singh (bus conductor) resident of Sansarpur Terrace, Shakuntala Devi, resident of Barial village near Nagrota Surian, Ajay Kumar and Kamal Singh. Meanwhile, a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
