Munish Sood
Mandi
A roadside parapet may have averted a major tragedy in Bilaspur district on Thursday morning when an HRTC bus carrying around 40 passengers was left partially hanging over a deep gorge after colliding with a private bus.
The accident took place near the Hanuman Temple on the Bhager-Panoul road. The HRTC bus, travelling from Jablu to Ghumarwin, collided with the oncoming private bus, following which nearly half of the vehicle went beyond the road edge and hung dangerously over the gorge.
The bus was carrying schoolchildren, college students and daily commuters. Several passengers suffered minor injuries in the accident.
The situation could have turned catastrophic had the small concrete parapet along the roadside not held the bus back. The vehicle was reportedly perilously close to plunging into a gorge nearly 200 metres deep.
The private bus was operating on the Gehrawin-Ghumarwin-Gehrawin route. Police and other authorities were informed following the accident, while further details about the cause of the collision were awaited.
