14 killed, 30 injured as bus rolls down the hill in HP

Solan, Dec 2 (UNI) Fourteen people were killed and 30 others injured, seven of them seriously, when a Delhi-bound bus rolled about 200 metres down the hill at Jokhri, about 10 - km from here on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway in Himachal Pradesh today.

According to reports, the driver of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus, carrying about 60 passengers, lost control while negotiating a sharp turn after it was hit by another bus from behind.

The bus, on its way from the hill resort of Shimla to Delhi, broke apart after falling down 200 metres and its pieces were scattered around.

Senior officials along with medical teams rushed to the spot and immediately began rescue and relief operations with the help of local people, who were the first to reach the accident site and lend a helping hand.

While 12 people, including the driver and the conductor, died on the spot, two succumbed to injuries on way to hospital. Five of the victims were women. Three of the injured were referred to PGI, Chandigarh.

Bodies of four people including two women and a young girl were not identified till the filing of this report.

State Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who was on his way to dedicate a Shaheed Samarak and inauguration of an industrial unit in the town, rushed to the accident site and later Zonal hospital to enquire about the injured.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Kumar has asked Sub Divisional Magistrate K C Chaman to probe the exact causes which led to the accident and submit the report within a week.

A survivor, Parvinder, said that the tragedy occurred after a bus of neighbouring state suddenly hit the rear portion of the bus on a curve. Soon after, the driver lost control over the vehicle and the bus after dashing against the parapets rolled down into gorge, he added.

The Deputy Commissioner, who also visited the spot, said administration has disbursed an immediate relief of Rs 10,000 to the next of the kin of each dead and Rs 5,000 to seriously injured and Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 to those who sustained light injuries. More financial relief would be given to the kin of the deceased and the injured, he added.

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