Uttarakhand road accident: At least 5 killed, 17 injured as bus overturns in Pauri, crashes into deep ditch

At least five people were killed and seventeen others were injured on Sunday after a bus fell into a deep gorge in Uttarakhand. SDRF teams worked in tandem with locals and the police to conduct rescue operations, and several individuals remain in a critical condition.

“Pauri police and local people carried out a rescue operation on the spot and a total of 18 injured were taken out and sent to the hospital, while 4 people died on the spot in the incident, whose bodies were also taken to the hospital for necessary action,” said Commander SDRF Arpan Yaduvanshi who oversaw the initiative.

Officials said the vehicle had lost control near Dahalchori and veered off the road. It had been travelling from Pauri to Dahalchauri with 22 passengers at the time of the accident.

According to the State Disaster Response Force, four people had died on the spot while another individual succumbed during the rescue operation. Eight of the injured have been referred to a higher health center in Srinagar in critical conditions while others remain at the Pauri district hospital.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also confirmed the details and voiced hope for a speedy recovery.

“Very sad news was received about the death of four passengers due to a bus accident on the way to Kendriya Vidyalaya in Pauri. I pray to God to grant the souls of the departed a place at His feet and provide strength to the bereaved family to bear this pain. Relief and rescue operations are underway by the local administration and the injured are being treated at the nearest hospital,” he wrote in Hindi on X.

The incident comes mere weeks after two people — including a Provincial Armed Constabulary jawan — were killed while travelling by car through Uttarakhand. The vehicle fell into a 150-metre-deep gorge near Bayela Malla village on the Rikhnikhal-Sidhkhal road. 

(With inputs from agencies)