Uttarakhand: Seven killed, 11 injured after bus falls into gorge in Almora
Seven killed, 11 injured after a bus fell into a gorge in Almora. Authorities are investigating the cause as road safety concerns rise in Uttarakhand.
Seven people were killed, and 11 others were injured after the bus they were travelling in fell into a gorge in Almora’s Bhikiyasen on Tuesday morning, a police official said.
The bus, belonging to Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), was on its way to Ramnagar when it lost control near Bhikiyasen.
Teams from the district administration, police and state disaster response force (SDRF) were rushed to the spot following the accident. The injured have been sent to a nearby hospital
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Devendra Pincha said, “Eighteen people were travelling in the KMVN mini bus when it lost control and fell into the gorge. The bodies have been retrieved, and the injured have been sent to the hospital.”
According to the police, the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.
Every year, over 1,000 road accidents are reported in the state, with the treacherous, winding, and narrow roads on the mountainous terrain often exacerbating the danger. This issue is particularly acute during the monsoon and winter seasons, when poor visibility makes already challenging journeys even more hazardous.
With the goal of reducing road accidents by 50% by 2030, the Uttarakhand cabinet in February approved the Road Safety Policy, 2025.
The primary objective of the policy is to ensure the safety of road users, raise awareness among the public, develop safer infrastructure, enforce compliance with road safety and traffic regulations, strengthen emergency medical care for accident victims, and promote qualitative research on road safety by identifying the roles of various stakeholder departments in achieving these goals.
Seven people died and 11 were injured when a Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam bus plunged into a gorge in Almora's Bhikiyasen on Tuesday. The bus lost control en route to Ramnagar. The cause of the accident remains unclear. Each year, over 1,000 road accidents occur in Uttarakhand, prompting a new Road Safety Policy aimed at reducing incidents by 50% by 2030.