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CatastropheIndia

India: 25 killed after bus falls into gorge

October 5, 2022

The vehicle was carrying 45 wedding guests when it veered off a perilous mountain highway in the north of the country and plunged at least 500 meters into the ravine below.

https://p.dw.com/p/4Hl3u
India's State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) shows SDRF personnel during a rescue operation after a bus plunged into a gorge in Dhumakot, Pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand state, India
India's State Disaster Response Fund personnel were on the scene as rescue efforts continueImage: SDRF/Handout/EPA-EFE

At least 25 people were killed and 20 others were injured when a bus carrying wedding guests fell into a gorge in northern India.

Police said the vehicle veered off a perilous mountain highway in Pauri district, in Uttarakhand state, and plunged at least 500 meters (1,640 feet) into the gorge below.

There were 45 people on board at the time of the crash. Police said 20 of them were rescued.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that his "thoughts are with the bereaved families."

"All possible assistance will be provided to those affected," he said.

Deadly roads in India

Road accidents are fairly common in India, mainly due to reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.

According to a 2021 World Bank report, India accounts for 11% of global road deaths even though it has only 1% of the world's road vehicles.

More than 110,000 people are killed every year in these accidents across India, police records show.

In June, nearly two dozen people died after their bus plunged into a ravine en route to a shrine, also in the state of Uttarakhand.

Last week, a  tractor-trailer carrying religious pilgrims in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh overturned and fell into a pond, leaving at least 26 people dead and 16 others seriously injured.

ss/nm (AP, AFP)