By Nine people died and an equal number were injured when their bus skidded off the road and fell into a 200-metre gorge in the remote Churah sub division of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday morning.
The mishap took place at 10.15 am at Colony Mod on the Bondedi-Tissa road in the sub-divisional headquarters of Bhanjraru, 66 km from Chamba, deputy commissioner DC Rana said.
Six people died on the spot, while three succumbed to injuries on the way to the civil hospital at Tissa. Rana said there were 18 passengers on board the private bus (HP73A 1316) that was on its way from Bondedi to Chamba when the accident took place.
Immediate relief of ₹ 20,000 has been given to the next of kin of the deceased and ₹5,000 to the injured. A probe by the Tissa sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Tissa accident. He said that the district administration has been directed to provide all help to the victims. The injured will be provided free treatment.
