Daijiworld Media Network - Sirmaur

Sirmaur, Jan 9: At least nine people were killed and around 40 others injured after a private bus plunged nearly 500 feet into a deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district on Friday afternoon, police said.

The accident occurred near Haripurdhar village when the bus, travelling from Shimla to Kupvi via Rajgarh, skidded off the road and overturned after falling into the gorge.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sangrah Sunil Kayath, who is supervising the rescue operations, confirmed the casualties and said relief work is being carried out on a war footing.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the loss of lives and directed district authorities to provide all possible assistance to the families of the deceased and ensure the best medical treatment for the injured.

While the exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, local residents suspect that frost on the road may have caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

Videos circulating on social media show local residents and passersby actively assisting rescue teams, helping pull injured passengers out of the mangled bus amid challenging terrain.