Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited victims of the bus accident admitted to a hospital in Ramnagar on Monday, following a tragic incident in Almora district where a bus carrying around 50 passengers plunged into a deep gorge.
"This is very sad and may God give strength to the families who have lost their loved ones in this accident. All the arrangements are being made for those who are injured, all the assistance is being provided," Uttarakhand CM said.
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Uttarakhand DGP Abhinav Kumar confirmed that more than 35 casualties have been reported, with names and addresses of the victims currently being verified. He noted that some injured passengers have been airlifted to AIIMS in Rishikesh for treatment. "As per the instructions received from the Chief Minister, our police, SDRF, and health department teams were immediately activated," Kumar said.
"Senior officers from the police department are on the scene investigating the reasons for the incident. A case will be registered based on the preliminary findings, and necessary action will be taken," Kumar added.
Uttarakhand Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said that the government is committed to ensuring such accidents do not occur again. "The Uttarakhand government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. Rs 1 lakh will be given to the injured, while an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakhs will be provided to the next of kin of each deceased," Rawat said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakhs from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. In a post on X, Modi extended his condolences and wished for the swift recovery of those injured, stating, "The local administration is making every possible effort for relief and rescue."
(With inputs from agencies)