Dozens killed as bus loses control, skids off Himalayan road into gorge

New Delhi — At slightest 36 group were killed and six others injured Monday erstwhile a autobus mislaid power connected a hilly roadworthy successful nan bluish Indian authorities of Uttarakhand and plunged into a gorge. The autobus was built to transportation 42 passengers but elder authorities charismatic Deepak Rawat told The Associated Press it was packed pinch astir 60 group astatine nan clip of nan crash.

The autobus was walking from Garhwal to nan tourer municipality of Ramnagar erstwhile it veered disconnected nan road, officials said.

Almora territory officials launched a rescue cognition and nan casualties were transferred to location hospitals.

The Uttarakhand Police shared a video clip of rescuers moving astir nan overturned bus, which was near lying beside a stream astatine nan guidelines of a steep hill, almost 200 feet beneath nan road.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said successful a societal media station that an investigation would beryllium launched into nan origin of nan incident. Vineet Pal, different authorities official, said preliminary accusation suggested nan autobus was poorly maintained and that it skidded earlier tumbling into nan gorge.

The AP quoted Pal arsenic saying 2 carrier officials had been suspended for certifying nan autobus contempt its mediocre condition.

Dhami besides announced authorities government compensation of 400,000 Indian rupees ($4,750) for nan families of those killed successful nan crash, and 100,000 rupees ($1,190) for those injured.

Dhami said emergency crews were "working swiftly to evacuate nan injured and return them to nan nearest wellness halfway for treatment. Instructions person besides been fixed to airlift nan earnestly injured passengers if required."

Rescuers carrier a man injured successful a autobus clang successful bluish India's Uttarakhand authorities to a chopper to beryllium evacuated, Nov. 4, 2024, successful an image shared by nan Uttarakhand Police. Uttarakhand Police

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences for nan families of nan victims. He announced abstracted compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,378) for nan families of those killed and 50,000 rupees ($594) for those injured.

Road accidents are communal successful India's hilly Himalayan districts, wherever buses are nan superior mode of nationalist transport. About 160,000 group are killed successful roadworthy accidents successful India each twelvemonth — nan highest toll successful nan world — chiefly owed to reckless driving and poorly maintained roads and vehicles.

At slightest 18 group were killed successful July erstwhile a double-decker rider autobus collided pinch a beverage motortruck successful Uttar Pradesh state, and earlier that, a autobus carrying Hindu pilgrims skidded and rolled into a heavy gorge connected a upland road successful Indian-controlled Kashmir successful May, sidesplitting astatine slightest 21 people.

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