A tragic bus accident happened in Uttarakhand’s Almora district, killing at least 20 passengers. The accident occurred when a 45-seater bus travelling from Garhwal to Kumaon lost control and fell into a deep, 200-meter gorge in an area called Marchula. The district authorities said the bus was carrying many passengers, and a large rescue operation was quickly started by the local police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to help the victims.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami instantly reacted to the tragic accident, sharing his sorrow and giving instructions for the rescue to be sped up. He expressed his sadness on X, saying, “I received very sad news of casualties of passengers in the unfortunate bus accident that took place in Marchula of Almora district. The district administration has been instructed to conduct relief and rescue operations swiftly.”

Authorities are working quickly to help the injured people and move them to the closest health facilities. Chief Minister Dhami added, “The local administration and SDRF teams are working swiftly to evacuate the injured and take them to the nearest health centre for treatment. Instructions have also been given to airlift the seriously injured passengers if required.”

Government providing compensation and inquiry announced

After the accident, the Chief Minister ordered the suspension of local RTO (Regional Transport Office) officials in the area. He also announced financial help, offering ₹4 lakh to each family who lost their family member in the accident and ₹1 lakh for those who were injured. With this, a high-level investigation, called a magisterial inquiry, has been ordered to find out what caused the accident and to check if there were any safety issues.