UTTARAKHAND, INDIA —
In a devastating incident, a bus plunged into a deep Himalayan ravine on Monday in Uttarakhand, northern India, leaving at least 36 dead and several injured. Local official Deepak Rawat confirmed the death toll, adding that three critically injured passengers were airlifted to a hospital for urgent care.
Rescue operations were underway with volunteers forming a human chain across steep slopes and a rushing river to help retrieve survivors and bodies from the bus wreckage, which was found crumpled in thick undergrowth with the front severely damaged.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences to the victims’ families, announcing compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,380) for the deceased and 50,000 rupees ($595) for the injured. Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has called for an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, underscoring the region’s high accident rates due to challenging terrain, poor road maintenance, and risky driving.
Road accidents remain a persistent issue in India’s mountainous regions, where narrow roads and steep drops pose significant hazards for motorists.