Agencies
New Delhi
At least 36 people were killed when a crowded bus plunged into a gorge in northern India on Monday, the local authorities reported.
Another 15 passengers were injured in the crash, an official from the Kumaon district in the state of Uttarakhand said.
The bus was likely overcrowded with around 55 passengers at the time of the accident. The NDTV broadcaster reported that the vehicle was only approved for around 45 seats.
The accident occurred on Monday morning near the popular tourist resort of Marchula, which is surrounded by forests and mountains.
Indian media reported that the passengers had been travelling overnight in the direction of the city of Ramnagar in the Kumaon district. The bus suddenly lost control and plunged down a ravine of 150-200 metres depth. The exact cause of the accident was being investigated. The state government’s chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, announced that the families of the victims would receive financial support.
Dhami said the accident took place on Monday in the Marchula area of Almora district in the Indian Himalayas.
“The district administration has been instructed to carry out relief and rescue operations swiftly,” he wrote on X.
Vineet Pal, a senior official, told reporters that 36 people died in the accident, adding that some of the injured were airlifted for specialised treatment.
The bus was coming from Garhwal district in the north of Uttarakhand and was headed to Ramnagar. The vehicle had at least 42 passengers on board, Devendra Pincha, a local police officer, told the Reuters news agency.
Road accidents are common along the many mountainous roads in the Himalayan region, caused mostly by ageing vehicles, poor maintenance of roads, and reckless driving in the tortuous terrain.
