Kangra: Twenty-seven children were killed when the school bus they were travelling in skidded and fell into a 100-feet-deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district, news agency ANI reported.
The bus belonging to a private school overturned as it slipped into the gorge and came to rest in the middle of the hillside, the rescuers said. The police said the driver could have been speeding on the narrow hill road before he lost control of the bus.
A team of the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF have reached the accident site at Kangra's Nurpur town, 220 kilometres from state capital Shimla. Some children who had been trapped inside the mangled bus have been rescued.
The students are from Wazir Ram Singh Pathania Memorial Public School. Many of them were in Class 5 and below, news agency IANS reported.
"I have spoken with the chief secretary... the NDRF was immediately deployed," Himachal chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said. "Rescue operation is underway with the help of locals. I have ordered for a magisterial probe," he said.
The chief minister has announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of the children who met with the accident. All the injured children have been taken to a hospital in Pathankot, 90 km from the accident site.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted that he has told party workers in Himachal to "provide all the assistance they can to the families of the victims and to those who are injured."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones in the accident."
With inputs from ANI and IANS
The bus belonging to a private school overturned as it slipped into the gorge and came to rest in the middle of the hillside, the rescuers said. The police said the driver could have been speeding on the narrow hill road before he lost control of the bus.
A team of the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF have reached the accident site at Kangra's Nurpur town, 220 kilometres from state capital Shimla. Some children who had been trapped inside the mangled bus have been rescued.
The chief minister has announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of the children who met with the accident. All the injured children have been taken to a hospital in Pathankot, 90 km from the accident site.
Advertisement
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones in the accident."
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Himachal Pradesh Sees Weak Monsoon, Rain Deficit 43% Since June Himachal To Build Its 1st Road Using Full Depth Reclamation Technology 5 Seniors Beat Class 10 Students For Refusing To Wash Clothes, Suspended INS Brahmaputra Severely Damaged In Fire, Lying On Its Side; Sailor Missing Question On Atoms In NEET-UG Physics Section Catches Supreme Court's Eye Kuwait Couple Divorces Within 3 Minutes Of Getting Married Due To This Reason What Karnataka IT Minister Said About 14-Hour Work Day Proposal Top Six Car Launches In August 2024: Mahindra Thar Roxx To Tata Curvv Kamala Harris' Campaign Debuts New Official Election Logo Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.