Munish Sood
Mandi
Yet another road accident has shaken Himachal Pradesh, adding to the growing list of deadly mishaps reported across the hill state this year. A Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus met with an accident in Mandi district’s Sarkaghat subdivision on Tuesday morning, leaving around 15 to 18 passengers injured.
The accident occurred on the Gobhadta–Nili route near Havani village under the Samsoh panchayat area when the bus lost control and rolled off the road, plunging into nearby fields. The bus was on its way from Gobhadta to Sarkaghat via Maseran when the mishap took place at around 8 am.
At the time of the accident, nearly 15 to 18 passengers were travelling in the bus. The driver reportedly suffered comparatively serious injuries, while several passengers sustained minor wounds. Most of the passengers are stated to be out of danger.
Local residents rushed to the spot immediately after the incident and launched a rescue operation. The injured were pulled out of the damaged bus and shifted to Sarkaghat Hospital in private vehicles for urgent medical treatment.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sarkaghat Sanjeev Gautam confirmed the accident and said that a police team reached the spot and initiated an investigation into the cause of the mishap. “All injured passengers are undergoing treatment at Sarkaghat Hospital. The exact cause of the accident is being ascertained,” he said.
Series of Accidents Cast Shadow Over Road Safety in Himachal
The latest accident comes amid a disturbing rise in major road mishaps across Himachal Pradesh since the beginning of the year, raising serious concerns over road safety, traffic management and vehicle fitness in the mountainous state.
In early January, three youths lost their lives in Kullu while returning from a New Year’s Eve party. On January 8, a tragic bus accident in Haripurdhar area of Sirmaur district claimed 14 lives. In Mandi district, three people were killed in a collision between a car and a bus, while in Kangra’s Baijnath area, four youths died after their car plunged into a deep gorge. Another road accident in Chamba district claimed two lives.
Besides road mishaps, two major fire incidents were also reported in Arki and Sirmaur districts, further underlining growing safety challenges in the state.
The spate of accidents has once again put the spotlight on the urgent need for stricter enforcement of traffic rules, regular vehicle inspections and improved road safety measures across Himachal Pradesh.
