Uttarakhand: Seven dead, 28 injured after bus falls into George

The injured passengers have been admitted to a hospital. The bus with 35 people on board was returning from Gangotri when it met with the accident.

Uttarkashi:At least seven persons were killed and 28 injured were injured after a private bus carrying pilgrims fell into a 50-meter-deep gorge near Gangnani on the Gangotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, officials said on Sunday. The rescue operation concluded with the evacuation of 28 pilgrims, officials said. The injured passengers have been admitted to a hospital. The bus was carrying 35 passengers from Gangotri Dham to Uttarkashi.

The incident took place at around 4 pm on Sunday. Uttarkashi district disaster management officer, Devendra Patwal said, “Seven were killed and 27 others were injured after the bus carrying 35 passengers fell into the gorge near Gangani on the Gangotri national highway. The injured were admitted to a hospital for treatment.”

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) with the help of police carried out the rescue operation. The identities of the deceased and injured were being ascertained. According to the preliminary information, the bus was carrying Gujarati pilgrims. The cause of the accident is also unknown at this time, he said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his condolences for the deaths of seven people in the accident and wished speedy recovery for injured persons. The Chief Minister, who is in Delhi, also spoke to top officials and instructed them to carry out relief and rescue operations at a fast pace.

"May God grant the departed souls peace and the bereaved family members strength to bear this loss. I wish all those injured a speedy recovery," he said on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the bus accident. “I am saddened by the tragic incident in which the pilgrims from Gujarat lost their lives after a tourist bus fell into a valley in Uttarakhand. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased,” he said.

He said that the Gujarat government is in constant touch with the Uttarakhand government regarding the incident. “Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured citizens,” he added.

He said that the Gujarat government is trying to obtain details of the deceased tourists. Bhupendra Patel further said that the Uttarakhand Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey has briefed him about the incident. Arrangements are being made to take the injured tourists to Rishikesh for further treatment, the CM added.

Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey said that for information about the accident and the Gujarati tourists, an emergency number of the State Emergency Operation Center at Gandhinagar is enabled and can be contacted at 079 23251900.

Also, the District Emergency Operation Center at Uttarkashi has also shared its helpline number (01374-222722, 222126 (Toll-Free No. 0-1077), mobile: 7500337269) for availing information regarding search/rescue-related works in connection with the incident.