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At least 36 dead after bus plunges into Himalayan gorge

At least 36 dead after bus plunges into Himalayan gorge

At least 36 people have been killed and several others injured after a bus plunged into a deep gorge in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, Indian officials and media said.

State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the accident happened on Monday in the Marchula area of ​​Almora district in the Indian Himalayas, the Telegraph reports.

"The district administration has been instructed to carry out relief and rescue operations quickly," he wrote in X.


Vineet Pal, a senior official, told reporters that 36 people died in the accident, adding that some of the injured were airlifted for specialized treatment.

The vehicle had at least 42 passengers on board, Devendra Pincha, a local police officer, told Reuters news agency.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his "deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the unfortunate road accident".

Road accidents are common along many mountain roads in the Himalayan region, mainly caused by aging vehicles, poor road maintenance and careless driving in the "twisted" terrain. /Telegraph/