Himachal Bus Tragedy: 14 Killed, Over 30 Injured as Bus Plunges into 500-Foot Gorge in Sirmaur; PM Modi Reacts

At least 14 people were killed and more than 20 others injured after a private bus plunged into a nearly 500-foot-deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district on Friday afternoon.

The bus was travelling from Shimla to Kupvi via Rajgarh when it veered off the road near Haripurdhar village and fell into the gorge. The vehicle reportedly landed upside down at the accident site, around 95 km from the district headquarters in Nahan, news agency PTI reported.

Officials said the bus, which has a seating capacity of 39 passengers, was overloaded at the time of the crash, though the exact number of people on board is yet to be confirmed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed, and ₹50,000 for the injured, from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

“The loss of lives due to a bus mishap in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, is extremely saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

Rescue Operations Underway

Rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing, Sangrah Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sunil Kayath said. The injured are being shifted to hospitals in Sangrah and Dadahu for treatment.

Police, emergency response teams and district administration officials rushed to the spot, while local residents also joined rescue efforts, helping pull survivors from the wreckage and carry them up the steep slope.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and directed district authorities to provide all possible assistance to the victims’ families and ensure proper medical care for the injured.

Condolences were also expressed by BJP national president and Union Health Minister J P Nadda, Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal, Shimla MP Suresh Kashyap and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri.

Industry Minister and local MLA from the Shillai assembly segment, Harshwardhan Chauhan, said the district administration has been placed on alert, with doctors and medical staff at hospitals in Dadahu, Sangrah and Nahan asked to remain prepared.

Videos circulating on social media showed residents assisting rescuers in carrying injured passengers up the hillside.

The exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. However, locals at the site suspect the driver may have lost control of the vehicle due to frost on the road, causing it to skid and plunge into the gorge.