Shimla: At least 44 people were killed and 34 others injured Thursday when an overloaded bus fell into a deep drain in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, officials said.
The private bus (bearing registration number HP 66-7065) fell into the over 300-metre-deep nullah near the Dhoth Morh in Banjar tehsil of the district, Kullu SP Shalini Agnihotri said, adding the vehicle was en route to Gada Gushaini. Prima facie, it seems that overloading and negligent driving may have caused the accident, Agnihotri pointed out.
Additional SP of Kullu, Rajkumar Chandel stated that the toll in the accident has gone up to 44, and added that the injured were undergoing treatment at the Banjar Civil Hospital and the Kullu district hospital. Most of the victims were residents of various areas in Kullu district. Some of the severely injured passengers have been shifted to PGI Chandigarh, he said.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed grief over the tragic accident. In their condolence messages, they prayed for peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family members, an official spokesperson said.
The Chief Minister has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. He has also asked the administration to provide best possible medicare to the injured passengers. The Kullu district administration announced an immediate relief of Rs 50,000 to the kin of each of the deceased and the injured.
Piyush Tewari, founder of ‘SaveLIFE Foundation’ told this agency, “It’s a shame that mass-casualty bus crashes have become a norm in India, especially in hilly states like Himachal Pradesh. The state government must immediately order a summary audit of all roads, and engineers and contractors responsible for missing basic installations like crash barriers must be booked for causing countless deaths and injuries.”
PTI
