Chandigarh: At least seven people were killed and 11 others suffered injuries after a private passenger bus veered off a mountain road, overturned and crashed onto a road several metres below in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district on Friday.
The accident occurred near Chalunj Mor on the Bairagarh-Tissa road, while the bus was travelling from Bairagarh towards Chamba. The route, which passes through the remote Churah Valley, is considered difficult to navigate because of its narrow carriageway, sharp bends and steep drops. The 27-kilometre stretch is also used by people travelling towards the high-altitude Sach Pass.
The bus fell onto the lower road near Chalunj in the Churah subdivision after reportedly skidding off the main carriageway. Preliminary estimates suggested that around 20 to 25 passengers were inside the vehicle when the accident took place, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Several were trapped underneath the overturned bus following the crash. Residents from nearby areas were the first to reach the site and began rescue efforts before the police, district officials and emergency teams arrived.
Once the rescue personnel reached the spot, operations were intensified to remove the victims from under the wreckage. Backhoe loaders and other heavy machinery were pressed into service to lift the bus and facilitate the rescue of those trapped beneath it.
The injured passengers were taken to nearby medical facilities for treatment. Officials said some of them were in serious condition, raising the possibility that the death toll could increase. The identities of those killed and the precise number of people travelling in the bus had not been confirmed immediately.
Most of the passengers were reportedly local residents heading towards Chamba town. The driver and conductor of the bus were also among those killed in the accident.
The vehicle had covered only about three kilometres from the starting point when the mishap occurred near the Chalunj turn. According to eyewitnesses, the driver appeared to lose control while negotiating the bend, following which the bus skidded off the road, rolled over and landed on the road below.
Chamba Superintendent of Police Vijay Saklani said officials were still trying to determine the exact number of passengers who had been travelling in the bus. He said the precise cause of the accident was not known yet and added that the police would examine the circumstances leading to the crash.
Churah MLA Hans Raj expressed sorrow over the accident. Describing the incident as extremely painful, he conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the early recovery of those injured.