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HomeIndiaGovernanceHimachal accident: Kin ‘asked to wait’ with victims’ bodies until CM arrived...

Himachal accident: Kin ‘asked to wait’ with victims’ bodies until CM arrived to pay homage

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23 children died in the accident that took place when the bus carrying them plunged 300 ft into a gorge; CM Jai Ram Thakur denies allegations.

Chandigarh: Relatives of the 23 schoolchildren killed in a bus accident in Himachal Pradesh Monday have alleged that they were asked to wait with the bodies of the victims until the chief minister arrived to meet them.

CM Jai Ram Thakur paid homage to the accident victims outside the Nurpur Civil Hospital Tuesday morning after the bodies were handed over to the families.

A total of 27 people, including 23 children, were killed in the accident that took place around 3.30 pm Monday when the school bus carrying them plunged nearly 300 feet into a gorge near village Malkwal, on the Himachal–Punjab border.

“After the bodies were shifted to the vehicles, we were asked by the staff from the administration to not move until the chief minister reached,” said Chander Sharma, brother-in-law of one of the teachers, Naresh Kumari (34), who died the accident.

The cars moved only after the chief minister, who landed at 10 am, had offered condolences to every family, the relatives said.

Addressing a press conference in Mandi Tuesday morning, the CM, however, denied that the families of the dead were delayed due to his visit.

“The parents of the children were not made to wait for even a minute. The cars were made to move the moment they were ready,” said Rajesh Sharma, an aide to the chief minister.

The children were aged 5-12 years and 13 of the deceased belonged to the same village — Khuwara. Four of them belonged to the same family.

“Locals gathered to rescue those trapped inside the mangled bus,” said Chander.

“The rescue team of the National Disaster Response Force arrived only after 6 pm by which time almost everyone had been evacuated from the bus and rushed to the hospital,” he added.

Many parents who reached the spot of the accident had by the evening retrieved the bodies of their children and taken them home. “They were asked to bring the bodies back to the Nurpur civil hospital for postmortem,” Chander said.

The parents were told that the entire exercise was essential in order to get the relief amount of Rs 5 lakh announced by the chief minister to the next of kin of the accident victims.

Thakur, on his arrival, placed wreaths over the bodies of the victims and expressed condolences to the bereaved families. Later he went to meet the injured in the hospital before leaving for Pathankot where the other injured are being treated.

ADM Kangra district M. R. Bhardwaj said that he was not aware if the families had been asked to wait. “All possible arrangements were made. The administration did whatever best it could in those circumstances,” he said.

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