More than two dozen passengers were injured, four critically, after a bus fell off a bridge near the Har ki Pauri in Uttarakhand's Haridwar city today (July 14). The injured passengers of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) bus have been admitted to the Haridwar district hospital, Rodi Belwala police post in-charge Yashveer Singh said.
The condition of four people is critical, he said. The bus of the UPSRTC's Moradabad depot fell off the bridge over the Deendayal parking area, Singh said and added that some cars at the parking lot were also damaged.
He said as soon as information about the accident was received, police reached the spot and started rescue operations. The reason behind the accident is being ascertained, he said.
Movement towards Gomukh barred due to road damage
The Gangotri Park administration has banned people from going to Gomukh in view of damage to the road at many places due to continuous rain. The park administration has put up notice boards in this regard at Gangotri Dham and Kankhu Barrier, stating the movement has been stopped because of damage at many places on the Gomukh Marg.
It is worth noting that apart from devotees, during the Kanwar Yatra held in the month of Sawan, many Kanwariyas go to Gomukh to collect Ganga water. Due to rain in the past few days, Devgad, Chidbasa, and Bhojgaddi drains of Gangotri National Park were flooded, causing a culvert, and two Kanwariyas from Delhi, to wash away.
The State Disaster Response Force rescued 38 other people who were trapped there. Meanwhile, traders from Gangotri Dham expressed their displeasure over the ban.
Traders Satendra Semwal and Deepak Rana said culverts have been washed away earlier also during rain, but during the Kanwar Yatra, the Gomukh route was never completely blocked like this. They also accused the park administration of deliberately delaying the construction of the culvert.
When asked about the allegation, RN Pandey, Deputy Director of Gangotri National Park, said that labourers were present in Chidbassa but construction work cannot be done until the water subsides in drains.
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