Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, January 9
At least 12 dead and 35 injured after a private bus fell into a deep gorge in Haripurdhar, in Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Friday. The bus, operated by a private company named Jeet Coach, was carrying more than 50 passengers, including women and children, when it lost control and fell around 500 metres off the road, shortly before reaching the Haripurdhar market area in Sirmaur.
The bus was travelling from Shimla towards Kupvi when the accident occurred. The cause of the crash is not yet known.
According to eyewitness, local residents rushed to the scene to help with rescue and thereafter police, district administration and health department teams also reached the site. The injured are being taken to nearby health centres, while those in a critical condition are referred to hospitals in Shimla and Chandigarh, officials said. The Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
