At least twenty people, mostly children, were feared killed after a bus carrying school students fell into a gorge near Nurpur in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh on Monday evening
“The number of dead is 20 and the rescue operation is still going on,” said Nurpur sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Aabid Hussain. Himachal Pradesh education minister Suresh Bhardawaj was cited by news agency ANI as saying that 20 people died in the accident.
The death toll could rise as many students were still trapped in the mangled body of the bus, Kangra SP Santosh Patial. The bus belonged to Vazir Ram Singh Memorial Public School.
Eyewitnesses said the driver, who was among the dead, lost control on a sharp curve and fell into the 200-feet deep gorge at Cheli village, some 300 km from the state capital Shimla.
A National Disaster Relief Force team has been rushed to the site of the accident.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the food and civil supplies minister had been sent to the spot. According to eyewitness, all the children travelling in the bus were in the age group of 5 -11 years, mostly studying in primary school and kindergarten. (HT)
