GUWAHATI: A bus carrying 35-40 passengers plunged into a 200-meter-deep gorge near Marchula in Uttarakhand’s Almora district district on Monday, November 4. The incident has resulted in at least 23 fatalities and has also left most of the other passengers injured.
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The bus, en route from Naini Danda in Pauri Garhwal district to Ramnagar in Nainital district, lost control around 7 AM near the Sarad Bend and collapsed down the Geet Jagir riverbank.
According to Almora’s disaster management officer, Vineet Pal, 20 deaths have been confirmed, while over 10 survivors were transported to nearby hospitals with injuries.
Accounts of eyewitnesses report that several passengers were ejected from the vehicle on impact, while a few managed to escape and alert the authorities. Survivors who climbed to safety promptly reported the accident, and Almora’s disaster management officials, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are overseeing the rescue operation at the moment.
The bus was reportedly carrying more than its seating capacity of 42. Efforts are currently underway to locate more passengers still trapped in the wreckage.
