Thursday, 13 JUNE 2024 | PNS | UTTARKASHI
Three persons died and 26 were injured when a bus carrying pilgrims met with an accident on the national highway to Gangotri on Tuesday night. The 12 seriously injured and five other injured were taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh for treatment while the nine others with minor injuries were taken to the district hospital in Uttarkashi. Uttarkashi district magistrate Meherban Singh Bisht and other officials were also present in the district hospital till late in the night to check upon the condition of the injured and monitor the shifting of the seriously injured to AIIMS in Rishikesh.
According to official sources, the driver of a bus bringing pilgrims back from Gangotri lost control of the vehicle near Gangnani at 9 PM on Tuesday. The bus fell about 20 metres down the mountainside. Rescue and medical teams reached the site of the mishap on being informed and conducted the rescue operation with the help of local residents. The district magistrate and other senior officials of the district administration and police also reached the site of the mishap. Officials said that a total of 29 persons including the driver and conductor were in the bus when it met with the mishap. All the passengers are from various towns in the Kumaon region of the State. Those who died in the mishap have been identified as Deepa Varsaliya of Haldwani, Neema Kaida of Rudrapur and Meena Raikkal of Haldwani. Most of the persons who sustained minor injuries were discharged by Wednesday night. The condition of the remaining injured persons is said to be stable.
