At least 26 dead in India’s northern state after bus falls into gorge
- The accident happened in Uttarkashi, about 160 kilometres from the state capital Dehradun
- About 150,000 people are killed each year in traffic accidents in India, according to the government
The death toll has risen to 26 after a bus fell into a gorge in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand with 30 people on board, with four of those rescued in critical condition, a police official said on Monday.
The accident happened in Uttarkashi, about 160 kilometres from the state capital Dehradun
The updated toll in Sunday’s bus crash was provided to Reuters by Arpan Yaduvanshi, a police superintendent in the state’s district of Uttarkashi, where the accident took place.
“The bus was en route to Yamunotri with 29 passengers,” another police official at the state headquarters told Reuters by telephone, referring to the source of the river Yamuna that is a pilgrimage site.
At least 33 dead after bus in India plunges off mountain road
Rescue operations had been launched, with the injured being taken to hospital, Home Minister Amit Shah said, adding on Twitter that the national disaster response force had been dispatched.
Yaduvanshi added that the rescue workers were still looking for a missing passenger and the death toll “may increase further”.
The picturesque Uttarakhand has some of the holiest Hindu sites and receives millions of pilgrims each year, but has a poorly maintained and notoriously dangerous network of Himalayan roads.
At least 44 people dead after Indian bus plunges into deep gorge
India’s home minister Amit Shah said that he was in touch with the local authorities about the ongoing relief work for the “very sad” incident.
About 150,000 people are killed each year in traffic accidents in India, according to the government.
Among the main factors contributing to the high number of fatalities are excessive speeding and people not using seatbelts or wearing crash helmets.
Additional reporting Agence France-Presse
