Uttarakhand Bus Plunges Into Gorge in Almora; 7 Dead, 11 Injured

A passenger bus en route from Dwarahat to Ramnagar in Uttarakhand's Almora district veered catastrophically off the mountainous road on Tuesday morning, tumbling hundreds of feet into a treacherous gorge and claiming the lives of seven individuals while leaving eleven others with severe, life-threatening injuries.

The vehicle, which was carrying a total of 19 passengers at the time, reportedly lost control near the Salapani area within Bhikiyasain tehsil shortly after navigating past Vinayak, resulting in a rapid and uncontrollable descent that eyewitnesses described as unfolding in mere seconds amid a deafening crash.

Emergency response teams comprising police personnel, local administrative officials, and nearby villagers mobilised swiftly to the remote and rugged accident site, undertaking arduous rescue efforts to locate and extricate survivors entangled within the heavily mangled wreckage of the bus.

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Almora Senior Superintendent of Police Devendra Pincha confirmed the deployment of specialised rescue units, while Sub-Divisional Magistrate Yakshi Arora and Station House Officer Avneesh Kumar coordinated on-ground operations, facilitating urgent medical transfers to Bhikiyasain Hospital and preparing airlift arrangements for the most critically injured to advanced treatment centres.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed profound condolences over the devastating incident, committing full governmental support to the bereaved families and victims, as authorities launched an immediate investigation into probable causes including potential loss of control on a hazardous curve or mechanical malfunction, noting this tragedy as the second fatal bus accident in the Sult region within just 14 months.

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