4 Killed, 21 Injured As Bus Falls Into Gorge Near Uttarakhand's Bhimtal, Rescue Ops On

Bhimtal Bus Accident: At least four people were killed and 21 others were injured after a bus traveling from Pithoragarh to Haldwani met with an accident near Bohra Kun in Bhimtal, Nainital, on Wednesday. Following the accident, rescue operations by police, locals, and NDRF-SDRF teams began. The injured were hospitalized in Haldwani.

Speaking on the bus accident, SP Nainital, Jagdish Chandra said, "A roadways bus was heading from Pithoragarh to Haldwani. The driver lost control of the bus and it fell into a deep gorge...The injured have been rescued with the help of locals. 21 people have been injured and 4 people have died..."

#WATCH | Bhimtal bus accident | SP Nainital, Dr Jagdish Chandra says, "A roadways bus was heading from Pithoragarh to Haldwani. The driver lost control of the bus and it fell into a deep gorge...The injured have been rescued with the help of locals. 21 people have been injured… pic.twitter.com/2IQccmBjU6 — ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2024

The bus fell into a ditch about 100 meters deep in the Bhimtal area, news agency ANI reported on Wednesday, citing officials. As per the officials, the bus belongs to Roadways and was going to Haldwani with 20 to 25 people onboard.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand | A team of SDRF team is carrying out a rescue operation at the Bhimtal bus accident site along with local police and the Fire Department pic.twitter.com/cqvFvFjzNy

— ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2024

After receiving information, a relief team SDRF reached the spot, and the rescue operation began. "Today, on 25 December 2024, information was received from the District Control Room, Nainital, that a roadways bus has crashed near Bhimtal, on which the rescue teams of SDRF have left for the spot from Post Nainital and Khairna," SSP Nainital Prahlad Meena said, as quoted by ANI.

Reacting to the accident, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the local administration has been directed to carry out immediate relief and rescue operations. "The news of the bus accident near Bhimtal is very sad. The local administration has been directed to carry out immediate relief and rescue operations. I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the travellers," the CM said.

भीमताल के निकट बस के दुर्घटनाग्रस्त होने का समाचार अत्यंत दुःखद है। स्थानीय प्रशासन को त्वरित राहत एवं बचाव कार्य के लिए निर्देशित किया है।

बाबा केदार से सभी यात्रियों के सकुशल होने की कामना करता हूं। — Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) December 25, 2024

In another post on X, Dhami said, "The news of the death of 4 people in the unfortunate bus accident near Bhimtal is extremely heart-rending...The seriously injured people are being treated at Sushila Tiwari Government Hospital, Haldwani, and a team of doctors from AIIMS Rishikesh has also been sent to Haldwani. I pray to God for the speedy recovery of all the injured."

भीमताल के निकट दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण बस दुर्घटना में 4 लोगों की मृत्यु का समाचार अत्यंत हृदय विदारक है। ईश्वर से प्रार्थना है कि दिवंगतों की आत्मा को श्रीचरणों में स्थान एवं शोक संतप्त परिवारों को इस अपार दुःख को सहने की शक्ति प्रदान करें।

गंभीर रूप से घायल लोगों का सुशीला तिवारी… — Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) December 25, 2024

CM Dhami Announces Ex Gratia

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday instructed to provide a relief amount of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the people who lost their lives in the bus accident near Nainital's Bhimtal, a press release from the CM Office said.

Dhami also intructed to give Rs 3 lakh to the seriously injured persons and Rs 15- 25 thousand to the normally injured persons. "On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami, relief amount will be provided to the dead and injured in the bus accident that took place in Okhal of Bhimtal. Relief amount of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to the families of the dead, Rs 3 lakh to the seriously injured persons and Rs 15- Rs 25 thousand to the normally injured persons," the CMO release said.