At least seven people were killed and others were injured after a passenger bus fell into a deep gorge in Uttarakhand's Almora district on Tuesday morning, December 30. According to SSP Devendra Pincha, the rescue team has been dispatched to the location. "There are reports of some fatalities," he told the news agency ANI.
The injured passengers were transported to the Government Hospital in Bhikiyasain by local police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams. According to reports, 12 passengers were onboard at the time of the accident when the bus was travelling to Ramnagar from Bikhiyasain in Almora district.
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Five bodies were initially recovered from the accident site, while the death of another two passengers was confirmed later. The depth of the ravine has made the rescue operation challenging, but teams are working tirelessly with help of locals.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said painful and heart-wrenching accident. He said he is constantly monitoring the situation and in touch with the local administrative authorities.
"I have received the extremely distressing news of a bus accident on the Bikhiyasain-Vinayak Road, which was en route from Bikhiyasain to Ramnagar in Almora district, resulting in casualties among the passengers. This incident is profoundly painful and heart-wrenching," he added.
"The injured passengers in the accident have been admitted to nearby hospitals by the district administration. The seriously injured have been referred to advanced medical centers for better treatment. The entire matter is under continuous monitoring, and I am in constant contact with the local administrative authorities," the CM wrote in a post on X.