National Times Bureau :- Panic gripped Uttarakhand’s Almora district on Tuesday morning after a passenger bus skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge, killing at least seven people and leaving several others injured. The accident occurred in the Bhikiyasen area, triggering an immediate rescue operation by police and emergency agencies.
According to initial information, the bus was travelling from Bhikiyasen towards Ramnagar when it lost control near the Vinayak region and fell into the gorge. Officials said around 17 to 18 passengers were onboard at the time of the accident. Due to the depth of the gorge and difficult terrain, rescue efforts proved challenging in the initial hours.
SDRF Commandant IPS Arpan Yaduvanshi said the district control room in Almora received information about the mishap early in the morning, following which rescue teams were rushed to the spot. Preliminary reports indicate that six to seven passengers died on the spot, while the injured were pulled out of the wreckage and shifted to the government hospital in Bhikiyasen for treatment.
Police and administrative officials are currently at the site, and relief and rescue operations are ongoing. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, though loss of control on a hilly stretch is suspected. Authorities have initiated an inquiry into the incident.
