Kullu: Several families were devastated and broken as toll from Thursday evenings bus accident rose to 44 dead and many of the over two dozen survivors lying critically injured, battling between life and death, as doctors and nursing staff worked overtime to cope up with the emergency.
The overload private carrier was on its way from Kullu to Gada Gusheni, on the outskirts of the Great National Himalayan Park in Tirthan river valley, when the driver lost control and plunged the bus into a deep valley at Doth Mor, just 2 kilometers from Banjar town. The accident took place at about 4.30 p.m. on Thursday.
Rescue teams, mainly consisting of residents from nearby villages, were the first to reach the spot and bring the survivors to safety. Local administration efforts were pulled together by MR Bhardwaj, the sub-divisional magistrate of the area.
The injured were taken to Banjar hospital and the critically injured were shifted to Kullu regional hospital.
Eye witnesses said that most of the accident victims were school and college students, who were returning home.
District superintendent police officer Shalini Agnihotri prima facie held that the bus driver lost control of the vehicle while trying to negotiate a sharp bend on the narrow mountainous road.
Sanjay Dutta, an engineer by qualification but is a journalist by choice.
He has worked for the premier new agency Press Trust of India and leading English daily Indian Express.
With more than a decade of experience, he has been highlighting issues related to environment, tourism and other aspects affecting mountain ecology.
Sanjay Dutta lives in a village close to Manali in Kullu valley of Himachal.
