Mandi (HP), Jul 24 (PTI) Eight people, including four women, died and 21 others were injured when a state-run bus veered off the road and fell around 100 feet down in Sarkaghat area of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district on Thursday, police said.
The accident took place at Tarangla near Maseran when the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus with 29 people including the driver and the conductor on board was on its way to Durgapur from Sarkaghat.
Five people were declared dead at the Civil Hospital Sarkaghat, two at the Government Medical College Nerchowk and one in AIIMS Bilaspur, police said.
As many as 17 injured people are under treatment at the Government Medical College Nerchowk, AIIMS Bilaspur and RKGMC Hamirpur while four are taking treatment in the Civil Hospital Sarkaghat, they added.
The accident was noticed by local residents who immediately informed the police. Mandi SP Sakshi Verma said local police and ambulance teams promptly reached the site and carried out a rescue operation, navigating the steep terrain to evacuate victims.
The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, Verma, who was at the spot, said.
Some reports said that an injured woman passenger asked a person who helped her to bring her bag with Rs 1.5 lakh cash in it. The helper searched for the bag and handed it over to the injured woman.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri who also holds the portfolio of transport department met the injured in AIIMS Bilapsur.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has expressed grief over the incident and directed the Mandi district administration to provide ex-gratia grant to the next of kin of the deceased and best of treatment to the injured.
He also prayed to the God to grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss.
Meanwhile, BJP MP from Mandi Kangana Ranaut also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. In a post on social media, she prayed to the almighty to give peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families. PTI COR BPL KVK KVK
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