Bus that fell into U’khand gorge had 28 pilgrims from MP; CM says leaving for Dehradun

By PTI

UTTARKASHI: The bus that fell right into a gorge in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi on Sunday was carrying 28 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh’s Panna district, as per the state authorities.

According to the Uttarkashi administration, a minimum of 25 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh died and three had been critically injured on Sunday night when the bus they had been travelling in fell right into a deep gorge en path to the Yamunotri temple within the Uttarkashi district.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand: Visuals from the gorge in Uttarkashi district the place a bus carrying 28 pilgrims fell down. 22 pilgrims have died & 6 individuals have been injured. Local administration & SDRF groups engaged in rescue work; NDRF workforce speeding to identify. pic.twitter.com/g0KDBRdDMe

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 5, 2022

Expressing condolence over the loss of life of pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh within the bus accident, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan mentioned he together with state minister Bijendra Pratap Singh, DGP Sudhir Saxena, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora and your entire workforce are leaving for Dehradun instantly within the evening.

The MP Home Department has issued a listing of 28 passengers from the Panna district who had been travelling within the ill-fated bus.

“I have talked to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Dhami ji over the phone and requested him to ensure adequate arrangements for the treatment of the injured,” Chouhan mentioned in a tweet.

The chief minister mentioned he had sought details about the incident and rescue operations and is in fixed contact with Dhami. “I and my team are in constant touch with the Uttarakhand government and local district administration. The arrangements are being made to treat the injured and bring the bodies to Madhya Pradesh,” the chief minister mentioned.

The accident befell close to Rikhavu khadd on the way in which to the Himalayan shrine round two km from Damta on NH-94, mentioned Uttarkashi District Disaster Management Officer Devendra Patwal.

“After the horrific accident in Uttarakhand, I am leaving for Uttarakhand along with my cabinet colleague Bijendra Pratap Singh, Director General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Saxena, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora and the entire team. Can’t live peacefully in Bhopal in such sad times,” he added.

Chouhan mentioned a workforce of the MP authorities from Delhi has already left for Uttarakhand to supervise the preparations to shift the our bodies to MP and make sure the medical remedy of the injured.

“Our team has left for Uttarakhand from Delhi which will make arrangements for relief, rescue, and treatment (of the injured) besides transporting the bodies of the devotees to their homes (in MP),” he mentioned, including that the MP chief secretary is in fixed contact together with his Uttarakhand counterpart.

Chouhan introduced Rs 5 lakh every shall be given to the following of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured individuals. “Medical treatment of the injured is our priority,” he added.

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying the ex-gratia of Rs two lakh to the kin of these killed within the bus accident and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

MP BJP president and Khajuraho MP, VD Sharma, additionally expressed condolence over the incident. The deceased and injured are the natives of Sharma’s Lok Sabha constituency.

Sharma mentioned he additionally spoke to the Uttarakhand CM moreover the households of the deceased pilgrims. Local BJP leaders are serving to the bereaved households, he mentioned. MP Congress chief Kamal Nath additionally expressed grief over the incident.