In a tragic incident, three passengers were killed and more than two dozen sustained injuries after a roadways bus fell into a ditch about 100 meters deep in Uttarakhand's Nainital on Wednesday. As per the information, there were around 25 people travelling in the bus. The accident occurred in the Bhimtal region. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nainital, Prahlad Meena, confirmed that a relief team has been dispatched to the accident site.
Rescue efforts are currently underway, with a team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) working in coordination with local police, firefighters, and local residents to assist those affected. "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.
CM Dhami's reaction
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami condoled the death of four people in the accident and prayed for the speedy recovery of all the injured. "The news of the death of 4 people in the unfortunate bus accident near Bhimtal is extremely heart-rending. I pray to God to grant peace to the souls of the departed and strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense loss," he posted on X. "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," CM Dhami added.
Ex-gratia for victims
The Uttarakhand government also announced compensations for the victims of the tragic incident. Rs 10 lakh will be given to the families of deceased, Rs 3 lakh to the families of seriously injured and Rs 15-25 thousand to the families of normally injured persons.
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