28 dead as bus falls into gorge near Rampur in Himachal Pradesh
At least 28 people were killed and many injured this morning after a bus plunged into a deep gorge at a highway near Rampur in Himachal Pradesh, police said.
The accident occurred near Khaneri in Rampur, some 140 km from the state capital Shimla, a famous tourist spot.
The bus with 35 passengers on board was on its way from Rekong Peo town in Kinnaur district to Nauni in Solan district when it skidded off the road and crashed into the gorge.
"Most of the dead belonged to Rampur town and its nearby areas," a senior police officer said. The injured were rushed to a hospital.
The driver of the bus, according to the police, lost control over the vehicle while overtaking another bus. Images from the accident site showed rescue emergency workers conducting a rescue operation with the help of local volunteers.
The authorities, who are carrying out the rescue operations, have not ruled out the possibility of higher casualties as the bus rolled down around 200 metres towards the bank of the Sutlej River.
Condoling the loss of lives in the bus accident, PM Narendra Modi tweeted:Last week, 16 pilgrims died in a bus crash in neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir state, while in April 44 people were killed in Himachal Pradesh in a similar accident.