27 killed, 25 injured as bus falls into ditch in Dehra Dun

In the worst accident that Uttarakhand has witnessed in recent days, 27 people were killed and 25 others were injured when the bus in which they were travelling fell into a 200-metre deep ditch at Chilhal village in Chakrata area of the  district.

The bus, carrying 52 passengers, was going to Vikasnagar from Hanol in Chakrata tehsil. “It suddenly skidded off the road and plunged into the ditch,” sources in Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre (DMMC) said.

The exact cause of the accident was yet to be ascertained but sources said that over speeding could be the reason as the road was not in a good condition.

The district administration swung immediately. A search and rescue operation was launched and the bodies were recovered from the ditch, sources said.

Rains hampered the rescue work and some of the injured died as they could not get immediate treatment in the remote area. Most of the victims were locals.

The injured have been admitted to Chakrata military hospital of the area and four of them, whose condition is said to be critical, are being rushed to the Doon Hospital in Dehra Dun. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh each to the next of the kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 to the grievously injured.