7 Killed as KMOU Bus Plunges into Gorge in Uttarakhand
Passenger bus skids off Sailapani bend near Vinayak; several injured, airlift planned for critical victims
- KMOU bus fell into a deep gorge near Sailapani bend in Almora district
- Seven passengers lost their lives; over a dozen were injured
- Rescue teams faced difficulties due to steep terrain, villagers joined relief work
- Critically injured to be airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh
GG News Bureau
Almora, 30th Dec: At least seven people were killed and more than a dozen injured after a Kumaon Motor Owners Union (KMOU) passenger bus plunged into a deep gorge near Sailapani bend in the Vinayak tehsil area of Almora district on Tuesday morning.
The bus, bearing registration number UK 07 PA 4025, was en route from Nobara (Dwarahat) to Ramnagar when the accident occurred around 8 am. Preliminary information suggests that the bus went out of control while negotiating a sharp curve and skidded off the road into a steep gorge.
Six passengers died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries during treatment at a nearby hospital. The injured were rushed to the Bhikiyasain Health Centre for primary treatment, and preparations are underway to airlift critically injured victims to AIIMS Rishikesh for advanced care.
Rescue operations were challenging due to the depth of the gorge, but disaster management teams, police, and local villagers jointly carried out relief work on a war footing.
Ranikhet MLA Pramod Nainwal said arrangements for airlifting the seriously injured have been made in coordination with Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat. Salt MLA Mahesh Jeena also visited the site and hospitals to assess the situation.
KMOU bus owner Mohammad Altaf stated that the bus was a 2019 model with valid documents. The driver Naveen Chandra and conductor Prakash Nainwal are reported to be safe.
The district administration has ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
