Sirmaur, January 9: At least 13 people were killed and around 30 injured after a private Shimla–Kupvi bus carrying nearly 40 passengers plunged into a 500-foot-deep gorge in the Haripurdhar area of Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district on Friday afternoon, police said.
The death toll rose to 13 after one of the injured succumbed during treatment, officials confirmed. Nine critically injured passengers have been referred to Medical College, Nahan.
The accident occurred on a narrow hill road, where locals suspect the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to skid off the road due to frost accumulation.
Hearing the impact, local residents rushed to the spot and began rescue efforts on their own, climbing down the steep gorge to pull out injured passengers even before official teams arrived. Police, district administration officials and emergency services were later pressed into service, and a coordinated rescue and relief operation is underway.
Sirmaur Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Verma confirmed the casualties and said treatment is being provided to the injured at nearby hospitals.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the incident and directed district authorities to extend all possible assistance to the families of those killed.
Videos circulating on social media showed locals and officials working together at the accident site, helping rescue victims from the wreckage of the bus.
