Fourteen passengers were killed and 40 others injured when a Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus plunged into a deep gorge near Jogindernagar in Mandi district late last night.
20 injured were admitted to the Jogindernagar civil hospital, 18 referred to RP Medical College Tanda while two were released after providing first aid. A six-year-old girl is the youngest victim of the incident.
The bus, which had started from Dharamshala fell into a 100-150 feet deep gorge near Galu in Jogindernagar sub division of Mandi district. Earlier, sources said that 10 passengers had died on the spot and their bodies were recovered from the wreckage.
Police control room said the postmortem and identification process of the victims was underway.
Police and administration, including deputy commissioner Sandeep Kadam, superintendent of police Prem Thakur, Jogindernagar sub divisional magistrate Rahul Chauhan and police personnel reached the spot immediately after receiving information. It is said that rescue operation concluded at wee hours on Sunday.
Villagers who noticed the accident informed the police and the transport department in Mandi. Locals began helping and taxi operators voluntarily carried injured to civil hospital.
Those killed in the accident include the bus driver Krishan Chand and a six-year-old girl. After receiving the information, Mandi Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kadam, SP Prem Thakur, ADM Vivek Chandel and SDM Rahul Chauhan rushed to the spot. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Sunday announced Rs5 lakh compensation for the victims’ family who died in the accident.
