FOURTEEN people were killed and over 52 were injured after a private bus fell into a 500-foot-deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district on Friday afternoon, officials said. The accident occurred when the bus en route from Shimla to Kupvi via Rajgarh veered off the road and plunged into the gorge and landed upside down near Haripurdhar village, around 95 kilometres from the district headquarters, Nahan.

 

The seating capacity of the private bus was 39, and the bus was overloaded, they said. Sangrah Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sunil Kayath, who is at the spot supervising the rescue operon war footing and the injured were being rushed to nearby Sangrah and Dadahu hospitals. Expressing grief over the accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

 

“The loss of lives due to a bus mishap in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, is extremely saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM,” PMO posted on X. President Droupadi Murmu called the incident extremely heartbreaking and expressed deepest condolences to the bereaved family members. “The news of the death of passengers in the bus accident that occurred in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh is extremely heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones in this accident. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured individuals,” the President said in a post.