By IANS,
Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) : At least 29 people were killed when an overcrowded bus skidded off the road and fell into a 100-foot-deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district Friday, officials said.
“The private bus was on its way from Nagrota Suriyan to Dehra when it fell into the gorge near Haripur in Kangra district this (Friday) morning,” Kangra sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Rakesh Sharma told IANS.
He said at least 29 people died and 27 were injured in the accident.
“Most of the dead belonged to Dehra and nearby areas,” Sharma said.
Superintendent of Police Atul Kumar Fulzele said that the rescue operation was on and the casualty figure was expected to increase.
“Senior civil and police officers have reached the spot. Some of the injured have been taken to Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College at Tanda,” he said.
The cause of the accident is yet be ascertained, he said.
Eyewitnesses said the bus was overloaded and the driver probably lost control over the vehicle.
Haripur is 50 km from the district headquarter town of Kangra, which is almost 250 km from state capital Shimla.
Governor Prabha Rau and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal expressed grief over the accident.