13 killed, 30 injured as private bus plunges into gorge in HP's Sirmaur

The death toll in the bus mishap in Himachal's Sirmaur has reached 13, as one more person under treatment at a hospital succumbed to injuries sustained in the accident, according to the police.

The accident occurred when a private bus carrying 40 passengers from Shimla to Kupvi via Rajgarh veered off the road on the afternoon of Friday, 9 January, and fell into a 500-feet deep gorge in the Sirmaur district.

It landed upside down near Haripurdhar village, around 95 kilometre from the district headquarters Nahan. Besides 13 deaths, about 30 people sustained injuries.

Locals on the spot suspect that the bus driver might have lost control of the vehicle, following which it skidded off the road due to frost accumulation.

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. Officials of the district administration, police and others are also at work.

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," PMO said in a post on X.

President Droupadi Murmu also mourned the deaths and said on X: "I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones in this accident. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured individuals."

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed deepest condolences and directed 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.

Industry Minister and local MLA from the Shallai assembly segment, Harshwardhan Chauhan, said the district administration has been put on alert, and medical teams and doctors at Dadahu, Sangrah and Nahan hospitals are prepared to treat the injured.

He said the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained and expressed condolences on the incident.

With agency inputs