At least 18 killed, 17 injured as bus falls into ditch near Dehradun

Chakrata (Uttarakhand), Aug 1(ANI): At least 18 passengers, including six women and a child, were killed and 17 injured, after a bus carrying them fell into a ditch here on Wednesday.

The accident occurred when the bus, coming to Vikasnagar from Hanol, skidded off the road and fell into the ditch.The bus was carrying 47 passengers.Expressing grief over the accident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna ordered a magisterial inquiry into it and announced compensation for the families of the victims.

An ex-gratia of Rs. one lakh each to the next of kin of those killed and Rs.50,000 to those seriously injured has been announced, and the chief minister has directed the district administration to provide best medical care to the injured.

Search and rescue operation has been launched and 18 bodies have so far been recovered from the ditch, Dehradun District Magistrate Ravinath Raman said.

The injured are being rushed to various hospitals of the area, Raman said.

The cause of the accident has not been ascertained yet, he said. (ANI)