Forty four passengers were killed on Wednesday when a private bus carrying more than 50 passengers fells into the Tons river near Chopal, 95 km from Shimla, in Himachal Pradesh.
Police said the bus was going from Tiyuni in Uttarakhand to Vikasnagar when the accident occurred. The bus route crosses through some areas of Himanchal. A medical team and personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) from Dehradun have been rushed to the spot of the accident.
Tons is the largest tributary of the Yamuna river and flows through the Garhwal region in Uttarakhand, touching Himachal Pradesh.
Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announced Rs 1 lakh compensation to the family members of the accident victims. Rawat also announced Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured.
Uttarakhand chief secretary also S Ramaswamy directed Amit Negi, secretary (disaster mitigation) to remain in touch with officials in Himachal Pradesh.
According to official sources, a 13-year-old child and the conductor of the bus jumped seconds before the vehicle plunged into the river.
