At least seven people were killed and 11 others injured after a bus met with an accident near Chalunj Mor in the Bairagarh Tissa area of Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district on Saturday morning.
According to the district Disaster Management Authority, the accident occurred at around 7:15 am on the Teesa-Bairagarh road. Preliminary information suggests that around 20 to 25 passengers were travelling on the bus when the accident took place.
The 11 injured passengers were immediately shifted to a hospital for treatment. Six of those injured were later referred to Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College and Hospital in Chamba for further medical care.
Following the accident, a search and rescue operation was launched at the site. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, home guards and fire services were dispatched to assist in the rescue and relief operations.
The accident led to chaos at the site as emergency personnel worked to rescue those trapped and provide assistance to the injured. Authorities continued rescue operations following the mishap.
Chamba Superintendent of Police Vijay Saklani said the exact cause of the accident has not yet been established. He said the police would investigate the circumstances that led to the mishap.
The authorities are continuing to assess the situation and gather details about the accident. Further information regarding the circumstances of the crash is expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Chamba accident and conveyed his condolences to the families of those who died.
"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," the Prime Minister said in a post on X.
