At least 28 killed, 9 injured in Himachal road accident

Shimla: At least 28 persons have lost their lives and 9 others sustained injuries when a private bus carrying them fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district on Thursday.

The accident occurred near Khaneri in Rampur, some 140 km from here.

The bus with 37 passengers on board was on its way from Rekong Peo town in Kinnaur district to Nauni in Solan district when it skidded off the road and crashed into the gorge.

Deputy Commissioner Rohan Chand Thakur said that the accident occurred after a tyre burst.

The injured were admitted to nearby hospitals. Some were shifted to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla. "Most of the dead belonged to Rampur town and its nearby areas," he added.

Witnesses said the administration had a tough time extracting the victims from the wreckage of the bus. Villagers started the rescue operations before the authorities could reach the spot, they said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have expressed their condolences over the loss of lives.