Shimla: A private bus that plunged into Bhakra Dam in the morning hours has left 22 people dead, while another 14 accident victims who were rescued are injured.
“Since rescue operations began till 1 O’clock the accident toll has mounted and we have recovered 22 bodies,” Ashok Kumar, Bilaspur district police chief told Hill Post over phone from the accident site where he is supervising the rescue operations. “Fourteen victims, who were rescued, are being treated for injuries,” he added.
The bus that plunged into Gobind Sagar (Bhakra dam reservoir) drowned the victims while some managed to break through, said a senior police official.
Those rescued had been rushed to hospital while the police and other rescue teams were still looking out for any other victims in the waters.
To help out in the rescue operations, specialists divers from Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) have been requisitioned, said a district administration official.
Though the exact cause of the accident could not be known, a case has been registered and an inquiry was being conducted.
Most of the accident victims are said to be locals as the bus was on a local route from Rishikesh to Bilaspur town, when at about 8.45 it lost control near Rayian village and plunged into the reservoir.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
