DEHRADUN: The timely action by a bus driver today saved the lives of around 20 passengers even as his vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district, the police said.
No one was injured in the incident as the driver had asked the passengers to deboard the bus before he attempted to drive around debris from a landslip, SP Mukesh Kumar told PTI over the phone.
The bus skidded as the driver tried to manoeuvre it around the debris. However, he did not loose his cool. He let the bus slide for about 25 metres into the gorge, Kumar said.
It came to a halt after hitting a tree, the SP said.
The incident occurred at Raikholi on the Kakula-Almora Road when the bus was going from Bageshwar to Almora, the officer said.
"The road was partially blocked by debris from a landslip and the driver decided to negotiate the hurdle. He asked the passengers to vacate the vehicle, as it was risky," Kumar said.
While negotiating the blockage, the vehicle skidded off the road that was slippery due to rains, he said.
The SP said the bus driver to escaped unhurt.