Shimla:
At least seven people were killed and 11 others injured on Saturday morning when a private passenger bus rolled into a 100-feet deep gorge on the Tissa-Bairagarh route in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district. Most of the victims were locals travelling toward Chamba town.
What Happened
According to police, the bus, operated by Sharma Travellers, left Bairagarh for Chamba around 6:30 a.m. and had covered barely three kilometres when the driver lost control near the Chaluj Mod turn in the Churah subdivision. The vehicle skidded off the road, overturned, and plunged into the gorge before landing on the road below. Eyewitnesses told police the driver appeared to lose control while negotiating the bend.
Casualties
Among the seven deceased were four men and three women, including the bus driver and conductor. Approximately 15 to 25 passengers are believed to have been on board at the time of the accident, according to preliminary estimates. The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital in Tissa for treatment.
Rescue Operations
Local residents began rescue efforts even before police and administrative teams arrived at the remote accident site, working to extricate passengers from the badly damaged bus. Chamba Superintendent of Police Vijay Saklani said the exact cause of the accident was yet to be ascertained and that a formal investigation would follow.
A Recurring Concern in the Region
Chamba is among the more remote districts of Himachal Pradesh, where a scarcity of passenger buses and low service frequency often leads to overcrowding on the routes that do operate. Police have previously attributed a significant share of the district’s fatal road accidents to private operators and inadequately trained drivers, and the stretch near the accident site has reportedly seen previous mishaps.
Note: This report is based on statements from Chamba Police and information available at the time of publication. Casualty figures may be updated as authorities complete their assessment.
