Seven passengers were killed, and 11 others were injured in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba after a private bus overturned and rolled down a steep slope multiple times before landing on a lower road on Saturday morning, the police said.
The accident occurred at 7.15 am near Chalunj Mor on the hilly Bairagarh-Tissa road. Bairagarh is a remote area in Chamba district, located near Sach Pass.
According to preliminary investigation, the bus had started its journey from Bairagarh towards Chamba and met with the accident about 15 minutes after departure. There were 18 people, including the driver, on the bus, the police said.
Vijay Kumar Saklani, Superintendent of Police, Chamba, said it was too early to determine the cause of the accident, while the preliminary probe has not ruled out a mechanical fault in the bus. “It is likely that the axle of the bus may have broken. We are yet to record the statements of the injured,” Saklani told The Indian Express.
The deceased passengers have been identified as Jagdev Sharma, 50, Des Raj, 35, Tej Singh, 30, Jagdeyi, 24, Hardei, 45, Neelam, 34, and bus driver Roop Singh, 35. They were residents of different villages in the area. The accident took place on the treacherous 27-km mountain route through the remote Churah Valley, known for its narrow roads and steep drop-offs. The route is also a key stretch towards the high-altitude Sach Pass.
Among the injured passengers are Sahil, 18, Sushmita, 32, Priyanka, 5, Harshu, 4, Panno Devi, 41, Kavya, 11, Dhani, 40, Dharma Devi, 62, Vijay Kumar and Arpit Mangal, 11.
The injured were given first aid at the government hospital in Tissa before being shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Chamba, for further treatment.
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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed condolences on the deaths. He said, “The news of the demise of 7 people and injuries to 11 others in the bus accident near Chaluj Morh on the Tissa-Bairagarh route in Chamba district is extremely heartbreaking. I extend my deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this tragic accident.”
He further said that instructions have been issued to the district administration to ensure that all the injured are immediately admitted to the nearest hospitals and proper arrangements are made for their treatment.
PM Modi, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu condole deaths
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu have condoled the deaths of accident victims.
“The loss of lives due to a mishap in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. May those injured recover at the earliest,” PM Modi posted on X.
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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in his message, described the accident as “extremely heartbreaking”. “I extend my deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this tragic accident,” he said
He said that instructions have been issued to the district administration to ensure that all the injured are immediately admitted to the nearest hospitals and proper arrangements are made for their treatment.
The accident comes days after the conclusion of the Minjar Fair in Chamba, which officially ended on August 2. Despite the conclusion of the fair, people from different parts of the district continue to travel to Chamba.