Dehradun: In a tragic accident, a bus carrying 63 passengers plunged into a deep gorge in Almora district’s Marchula area, killing 36 people and injuring 27 on Monday morning. The overloaded 42-seater bus was traveling from Kirath in Pauri Garhwal to Ramnagar, where it lost control around 8:45 am near Kupi village.

Initial reports indicate the impact was so severe that several passengers were thrown from the bus. The victims included ten women and a child, with 28 people dying on the spot, while eight others succumbed to injuries during treatment at the Ramdutt Joshi Hospital in Ramnagar.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called the incident “heartbreaking” and suspended officials from the Assistant Regional Transport Office (ARTO) in Pauri and Almora, initiating a magisterial inquiry into the cause of the accident. “Strict actions will be taken against those responsible,” Dhami emphasized, visiting the accident site and hospitals to oversee rescue operations. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for those injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu expressed their condolences, with the Prime Minister’s Office announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Rescue operations, conducted by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), aimed to swiftly evacuate and treat the injured, with three critically injured passengers airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh and others transferred to Sushila Tiwari Hospital in Haldwani.

The overloaded vehicle, operated by the private Garhwal Motor Owner Association, raised concerns about possible negligence contributing to the tragedy. Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat assured the public of future safety measures to prevent similar incidents, and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge appealed for immediate aid and compensation for the victims.