Representative image showing a dead body.
Credit: iStock Photo
Dehradun: Seven people, including three women, were killed and 12 others injured when a bus fell into a gorge near Vinayak in the Bhikiyasain area of Uttarakhand's Almora district on Tuesday, a police official said.
According to the police, the deceased include an elderly couple.
Almora Senior Superintendent of Police Devendra Pincha said the accident occurred when the bus, carrying passengers from Dwarahat in Almora district to Ramnagar in Nainital district, went out of control and plunged into a gorge six kilometers before Bhikiyasain.
He said that upon receiving information about the accident, police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams reached the spot and launched rescue and relief operations.
Pincha said that six people died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. Twelve people, including the driver, were injured in the accident and were rescued from the gorge and admitted to the hospital.
A total of 19 passengers were on board the bus at the time of the accident. All the victims are local residents.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.
"The loss of lives due to a bus mishap in the Almora district of Uttarakhand is extremely saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest," Modi said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also expressed sorrow over the incident.
In a message issued here, he said that those injured in the accident have been admitted to nearby hospitals by the district administration, and those seriously injured have been referred to higher medical centers for better treatment.
Dhami also prayed to God for the speedy recovery of all the injured.
The cause of the bus accident is yet to be ascertained. Pincha said that the reasons for the accident will be known only after the investigation.
According to the list provided by the police, the deceased include an elderly couple identified as Govind Vallabh Mathpal (80) and his wife Parvati Devi (75). The other deceased are Nandan Singh Adhikari (65), Tara Devi (50), Ganesh (25), Umesh (50), and Govindi Devi (58).