Bus accident in Bursa Indianorthern province uttarakhand 36 people lost their lives when a passenger bus fell into a 150-meter deep valley.

The accident took place around 8.25 am on Monday, when the bus was traveling from Pauri to Ramnagar, at Marchula, about 35 kilometers from its destination.

Local villagers were the first to respond, rescuing the passengers before police and the state disaster response force arrived on the scene.

“The incident took place on Monday morning and the district administration received information that the bus fell into a 150-metre-deep gorge around 8.45 am,” Vineet Pal, disaster management officer of Uttarakhand’s Almora district, told reporters.

While nine of the passengers died after being hospitalized, the other three were taken to AIIMS in Delhi for treatment.

More than 60 people were traveling on the bus Hindu.

Prime Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a rapid rescue and relief operation and announced compensation of 400,000 Rupees (£3,600) to the families of the dead and 100,000 Rupees (£900) to the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences and announced an additional compensation of Rs 200,000 (£1,800) to the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 (£459) to the injured.

“I offer my condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the road accident in Almora, Uttarakhand. However, I wish a speedy recovery to all the injured. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is making every possible effort for relief and rescue,” Mr. Modi said in a post.

According to officials, a criminal investigation is ongoing and some local officials in the area have also been suspended. Indian Express.

Investigators have not yet determined the exact cause of the crash, but police officers said overcrowding may have played a role. Hindustan Times reported.

The bus left for Ramnagar from Dhumakot’s Kainath village around 6.30 am, officials said. The driver, Dinesh Singh, reportedly lost control while trying to navigate a bend near Kupi in Almora around 8.45am. The bus broke through the barricades, plunged 150 meters down the steep slope and crashed at the bottom of the valley, just a few meters away from the stream.

This accident was the deadliest in the hill state since July 2018, when 48 people lost their lives in Pauri Garhwal.

Some survivors of the accident reported that the axle of the bus collapsed due to the weight of the passengers. “The axles broke and the driver lost control. I closed my eyes as the bus drove down the road. “I don’t know how I got out,” said 17-year-old Ayush, who was traveling with his family.

Police reported that 10 of the dead were women and 28 people died at the scene.

“The remaining eight died at a hospital in Ramnagar,” Almora senior superintendent of police Devendra Pincha told reporters.

“I was sleeping and woke up with a violent shaking. The bus rolled down the road and I could only hear people screaming. Seconds later, we came to a violent halt. Local people came to our rescue. When I finally got off the crushed bus, there were dead bodies and injured people around.” H.T..

President Draupadi Murmu said in her post on X: “The news that many people, including women and children, died in road accidents in Almora is heartbreaking. “I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and hope that those injured will recover as soon as possible.”