MANDI: A 55-year-old man was killed and 35 others were injured today when the private bus they were traveling in plunged into a deep gorge in the district.
The incident took place near a gas agency store, 3 km ahead of Padhar area of Drang assembly segment, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Devi Singh, a resident Sarani village in Drang.
The injured were admitted to civil hospital Padhar. Later, three persons, who had received serious wounds, were referred to Zonal Hospital, Mandi.
The bus was en-route to Pathankot from Manali when the incident occurred.
Passengers alleged that the driver was attending a call on his mobile phone and lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn, police said.
They said the driver jumped out of the bus and fled from the scene.
Upon being informed, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Vinay Modi, Tehsildar Devi Chand, Station House Officer Neel Chand and other officials rushed to the spot.
An ex-gratia amount of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 was announced for the injured and Rs 1 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased, they said.
Police have registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and are investigating the matter.
In another incident, three people were injured when a Volvo bus rammed a wall of the house of Sundernagar Tehsildar today.
The driver of the Manali-bound tourist bus from Chandigarh has been booked for negligence, police said.