At least 36, including 10 women, killed as bus falls into gorge in Uttarakhand

In a devastating road accident on Monday morning, a bus carrying over 60 passengers fell into a deep gorge in Almora district, Uttarakhand, killing at least 36 people and injuring 26 others, four of whom are critically wounded.

The 43-seater bus, operated by the Garhwal Motor Owners Union, was headed from Pauri in Garhwal to Ramnagar in Kumaon, about 250 kilometers away. The accident occurred around 8 am near Marchula, just 35 kilometers short of its destination.

District Magistrate Alok Kumar Pandey confirmed that the bus plunged 200 meters into the gorge, describing the scene as "heart-wrenching" and highlighting the challenges of the five-hour-long rescue operation. "The vehicle was a mangled mess by the time we got there," Pandey said.

Shocking visuals from the accident site underscored the gravity of the incident. The bus lay wrecked amidst dense forest and rocky slopes, stopping perilously close to a stream.

Rescuers, including personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), worked diligently to retrieve passengers from the wreckage.