Munish Sood
Mandi
At least seven people lost their lives and several others sustained injuries after a private passenger bus plunged into a deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district on friday. The accident occurred near Haripurdhar when the private bus, operated under the name Jeet Coach, skidded off the road and rolled nearly 300 metres down a steep hillside.
The bus was en route from Shimla to Kupvi when the tragic incident took place. Local residents were the first to reach the spot and immediately informed the police and district administration. Rescue teams were rushed to the site, and a large-scale relief and evacuation operation was launched despite difficult terrain and challenging weather conditions.
Renukaji MLA and Himachal Pradesh Congress President Vinay Kumar confirmed the incident and expressed deep grief over the loss of lives. Calling the accident extremely painful, he appealed to party workers in the Haripurdhar zone to immediately reach the site and assist the administration in rescue and relief operations.
“This is an extremely tragic incident. I request all Congress workers in the Haripurdhar zone to extend full cooperation to the administration in rescue efforts. Standing with the victims and their families in this hour of grief is our moral responsibility,” Vinay Kumar said.
The injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals, where they are undergoing treatment. District officials said that the condition of some of the injured remains critical.
The cause of the accident is yet to be officially confirmed. However, preliminary reports suggest that the bus may have lost control while negotiating a sharp curve on the narrow mountain road.
Chief Minister and senior government officials have expressed condolences to the bereaved families and assured all possible assistance to the victims. The district administration has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Meanwhile, rescue operations continued late into the evening as authorities worked to retrieve the bodies and clear the wreckage from the gorge.
