Schoolchildren among 16 dead as bus falls into gorge in India’s Himachal

Schoolchildren among 16 dead as bus falls into gorge in India’s Himachal

Schoolchildren among 16 dead as bus falls into gorge in India’s Himachal

PTI 

Shimla : A private bus fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Monday, leaving 16 people, including schoolchildren, dead, a senior official said.

Kullu Deputy Commissioner Ashutosh Garg said the Sainj-bound bus fell into the gorge near Jangla village at around 8.30am.

District officials and rescue teams had reached the spot, he said, adding the injured were being taken to a nearby hospital.

PM announces ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for next of kin of those killed   

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the bus accident in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu is heart-rending and announced Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives.

"The bus accident in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh is heart-rending. In this tragic hour my thoughts are with the bereaved families," Modi was quoted as saying in a tweet by his office.

"I hope those injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected," he said.

"The Prime Minister has approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the tragic bus accident in Himachal Pradesh," the Prime Minister's Office said in another tweet.

The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each, it said.