Uttarakhand bus accident: Five killed as vehicle falls into gorge

Five people were killed when a bus fell nearly 70 metres into a gorge in the Narendranagar area of Tehri district on Monday (November 24).

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said that the accident took place near Kunjapuri-Hindolakhal after the bus lost control and fell into the gorge.

Five SDRF teams deployed

Five SDRF teams reached the spot upon receiving the information, and a rescue operation was launched.

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Five passengers have been initially confirmed dead on the spot, SDRF officials said, adding that the injured are being rescued from the ravine and taken to the nearest hospital. An official said there were 28 passengers on board the bus.

District administration alerted SDRF

The SDRF authorities said that the Tehri District Control Room alerted the SDRF Battalion about the accident in the afternoon. A total of five SDRF teams were immediately mobilised from Post Dhalwala, Post Koti Colony and the SDRF Battalion Headquarters as directed by SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi.

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After the incident, teams from the State Disaster Response Force, district police, fire department, and revenue departments arrived at the spot, with local residents joining the initial rescue efforts. Officials reported that several passengers managed to jump out of the bus moments before it fell into the river.

Earlier incident in Tamil Nadu

Earlier in the day, two private buses collided head-on in Tamil Nadu’s Tenkasi district, leaving six people dead and at least 28 others injured. The victims included five women and one man.

One bus was travelling from Madurai to Senkottai, while the other was on its way from Tenkasi to Kovilpatti. The crash caused extensive damage, with both vehicles left badly mangled due to the force of the impact.

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Officials said the driver of the Madurai-bound bus was reportedly driving recklessly, and the collision occurred near Achampatti. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts to determine the exact sequence of events.

Rescue teams rushed to the spot, and the injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Authorities cautioned that the death toll may increase, as several passengers are in critical condition. The severity of the crash has prompted a detailed inquiry into the cause of the accident.

(With agency inputs)