At least 23 killed as bus falls into gorge in Uttarakhand

Dehradun: At least 23 people were killed and 15 injured after a bus carrying around 40 passengers veered off the road and plunged into a 200-metre deep gorge in Uttarakhand’s Almora district.

Of the dead, 22 died on the spot while another passenger succumbed to injuries en route to hospital in Ramnagar, Almora District Disaster Management Officer Vineet Pal told PTI.

The bus was on its way from Pauri to Ramnagar when an accident took place near Marchula. District Magistrate Alok Kumar Pandey confirmed the toll and added that personnel from the police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) immediately launched a search and rescue operation.

Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on The district administration has been directed to expedite relief and rescue efforts.” He added that the local government and SDRF teams are working quickly to evacuate the injured, with arrangements in place to airlift those in critical condition if necessary.