A bus carrying around 30 passengers plunged into a gorge near Bhadalikhal in Uttarakhand's Pauri district on Wednesday after its pressure pipe reportedly burst, triggering panic among passengers. All occupants were rescued safely, while one or two passengers sustained minor injuries. No serious injuries were reported.
The Garhwal Motor Owners Union (GMOU) bus, named Himagiri, was travelling from Kotdwar to Pauri-Srinagar when the incident occurred at around 1 pm. The bus was being driven by Ashok Mamgain, a resident of Kotdwar.
According to the driver, the vehicle developed a problem after passing Dugadda, between Gumkhal and Bhadalikhal. The sudden bursting of the pressure pipe left the bus unable to move forward. As the road sloped backwards, the vehicle reportedly went out of control and plunged into a gorge on the left side of the road.
The bus eventually came to a halt after hitting a tree, preventing what could have been a more serious accident.
Police teams from Dugadda and Gumkhal outposts, along with personnel from Lansdowne police station, rushed to the spot after receiving information about the incident. They launched a rescue operation and evacuated all passengers from the bus.
A video of the incident has also surfaced on social media, purportedly showing passengers jumping from the dangerously positioned vehicle to save themselves.
