At least 13 people were killed and 30 others were injured after a private bus plunged nearly 500 feet into a deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district on Friday afternoon, police said.
The accident occurred , when the bus travelling from Shimla to Kupvi via Rajgarh, skidded off the road and overturned after falling into the gorge near Haripurdhar village.
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 said in a post on X.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a statement grief over the loss of lives in the accident anddirected the district authorities to provide all possible assistance to the next of kin of those killed in the accident and ensure the best medical care to the injured.
While the exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined, locals suspect the driver may have lost control due to frost on the road.
In videos circulating on social media, a large crowd is seen helping in the rescue operations, trying to get the injured out of the wreckage of the bus.