The bus said to be of Garhwal Motor Owners Union Limited was going from Garhwal to Kumaon when the accident took place at Marchula in Almora, District Magistrate Alok Kumar Pandey said. While Pandey initially confirmed only seven casualties, Almora District Disaster Management Officer Vineet Pal confirmed that 20 people had lost their lives in the mishap.
Sources, however, told Aryan Age that at least 30 people were killed in the accident and the toll may go up further since several passengers were critically injured as the bus fell into a 200-metre-deep gorge. Police and SDRF personnel are carrying out a search and rescue operation at the spot. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief at the loss of lives in the accident.
"Received very sad news of casualties of passengers in the unfortunate bus accident that took place in Marchula of Almora district. The district administration has been instructed to conduct relief and rescue operations swiftly," he said on X.
जनपद अल्मोड़ा के मार्चुला में हुई दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण बस दुर्घटना में यात्रियों के हताहत होने का अत्यंत दुःखद समाचार प्राप्त हुआ। जिला प्रशासन को तेजी के साथ राहत एवं बचाव अभियान चलाने के निर्देश दिए हैं।
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) November 4, 2024
घटनास्थल पर स्थानीय प्रशासन एवं SDRF की टीमें घायलों को निकालकर उपचार के लिए…
"The local administration and SDRF teams are working swiftly to evacuate the injured and take them to the nearest health centre for treatment. Instructions have also been given to airlift the seriously injured passengers if required," he said.
Locals said that many migrants who had reached their native villages to celebrate Diwali are in the process of going back to their work locations due to which cabs and buses in the mountainous region are jam-packed with passengers these days.
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