4 killed, 40 injured in bus mishap in Himachal

Hamirpur, Aug 30: At least four people were killed and 40 injured, six of them seriously, after a private bus skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh early today, police sources said.

The accident occurred at Bohni village, about eight kms from here, after the driver failed to negotiate a sharp turn following which the bus, which was on its way to Kangra from Sarkaghat in Mandi district, plunged into the gorge.

The sources said local people, who rushed to the site, immediately after the accident helped the police and home guard officials in pulling out the bodies from inside the mangled bus.

Hamirpur ADM, Hira Singh Thakur, told reporters the seriously injured had been referred to PGI at Chandigarh while the remaining were admitted to the district government hospital here He said three of the deceased were identified as Dewan Chand, Braham Jaswal and Bhekha Ram and their bodies had been sent to a government hospital for post mortem examination.

The police had registered a case of rash and negligent driving against the bus driver.

UNI