18 injured as bus falls into gorge in Himachal’s Mandi, 1 critical

Following the accident, village residents promptly began rescue and relief operations. Ambulances and private vehicles were used to transport the injured to the nearest hospital.

Some of the critically injured have been referred to the Mandi hospital. Upon receiving the information, the police and administrative teams also arrived at the scene and joined the rescue efforts.

Sub Inspector Brij Lal, Station House Officer (SHO) of the Hatli police station, told The Indian Express, “The bus fell into a gorge around 150 to 200 feet deep. Almost all the passengers, including the driver and conductor, were rescued. The condition of one passenger is very critical. Some passengers managed to exit the damaged bus on their own without requiring external assistance. The bus was moving downhill when the driver failed to negotiate a sharp turn. It was raining when the incident occurred.”

A source said, “One of the injured who was trapped under the overturned bus was stated to be dead on the spot. When a medical staff member checked him, the injured was breathing and had a pulse. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors termed him critical.”

On Monday, two tourists from Haryana were killed and more than a dozen were injured when a tempo traveller overturned near Koksar in the Lahaul and Spiti district.