The death toll rose to 36 after a private bus fell into a deep gorge in Uttarakhand’s Almora district on Monday. President Drouapdi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the bus accident and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured. At least 24 people have been injured in the accident.
The bus was going from Pauri to Ramnagar when the accident took place at Marchula in Almora on Monday. Around 60 people were on the 43-seater bus when it plunged into the 200-metre gorge.
“The news of the death of many people, including women and children, in a road accident in Almora, Uttarakhand is heart-rending. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.
Modi expressed his condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the road accident and wished for the speedy recovery of all the injured.
He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for every injured person.
The prime minister said the local administration is making every possible effort for relief and rescue.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief at the loss of lives in the accident. He announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the next of those killed in the accident and a financial assistance of Rs one lakh for the injured.
Four of the injured are serious out of which three were airlifted to AIIMS, Rishikesh and one was taken to Sushila Tiwari Hospital, Haldwani, Almora District Disaster Management Officer Vineet Pal said.