A major road accident was reported in Uttarakhand’s Almora district after a passenger bus fell into a deep gorge near Shilapani in the Bhikiyasain area. Seven passengers lost their lives in the incident, while two women among 12 others sustained injuries. The injured were rescued and admitted to nearby hospitals for treatment.
According to officials, the bus was carrying a total of 19 passengers when it went out of control and plunged into the gorge. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be confirmed, though preliminary assessment suggests the driver may have lost control of the vehicle on the hilly stretch.
Police, district administration, and rescue teams rushed to the spot soon after receiving information about the accident. Rescue operations were carried out to pull the injured passengers out of the gorge, after which they were shifted to hospitals for medical care. Doctors stated that some of the injured remain in serious condition.
The deceased have been identified as Govind Ballabh (80) and his wife Parvati Devi (75), residents of Jamoli; Subedar Nandan Singh Adhikari (65) of Jamoli; Tara Devi (50) of Bali; Ganesh (25); Umesh (25); and one unidentified young man whose identity is still being verified.
The injured include Nanda Ballabh (50) of Naubada, Rakesh Kumar (40) of Naubada, Nandi Devi (40) of Singoli, Hansi Sati (36) of Singoli, Mohit Sati (16) of Naughar, Buddhi Ballabh (58) of Amoli, Harichandra (62) of Pali, Bhupendra Singh (64) of Jamoli, Jitendra Rekhadi (37) of Vinayak, bus driver Naveen Chandra (55), Himanshu Paliwal (17), and Prakash Chand (43) of Chachrauti.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over the incident and extended condolences to the families of the deceased. He directed the district administration to ensure proper and immediate medical treatment for all injured passengers and said he is personally monitoring the situation.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident. In a post on social media platform X, he conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
