Rescue work underway after a bus fell into a gorge near Bhimtal, in Nainital district, Uttarakhand, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. Several people suffered injuries.Photo: PTI Rescue work underway after a bus fell into a gorge near Bhimtal, in Nainital district, Uttarakhand, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. Several people suffered injuries.Photo: PTI As the Christmas and New Year holidays begin, tourists are heading towards hill stations to enjoy the snowfall. But, unfortunately, they are met with road closures, and in some cases, accidents.
One such case happened in Uttarakhand, where a roadways bus plunged into a ditch in Bhimtal, Nainital, leaving many passengers injured. Authorities have confirmed that a relief team is en route to the accident site to assist with the ongoing rescue operations.
In view of the accident, the Uttarakhand government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of deceased, Rs 3 lakh for the families of seriously injured and Rs 15-25 thousand for the families of normally injured persons, ANI reported.
VIDEO | Uttarakhand: Three killed, over two dozen injured in Bhimtal bus accident. Rescue operation underway. More details awaited.(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/65BNOJKRRz
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 25, 2024SSP Nainital, Prahlad Meena, reported that the number of injured individuals is still being assessed as emergency teams work to stabilize the situation.
According to India Today, 3 people were killed and over 24 injured in the accident. The bus, reportedly coming from Almora was destined to Haldwani. It fell into a 1,500 ft deep ditch near Bhimtal after loosing control.
4 dead in snow-related accidents in Himchal Pradesh
Hockey Jharkhand drubbed Gujarat 27-0. Adisan Minj (12’, 16’, 35’, 56’, 58’, 59’) stood out to be top goal scorer for Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, in Himachal Pradesh, at least four people have lost their lives in the past 24 hours due to snow-related accidents as heavy snowfall continues to disrupt life.
The inclement weather has also caused the closure of at least 223 roads, including three key national highways, significantly affecting traffic.
Kinnaur, Lahaul, and Spiti, along with Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Chamba, and Sirmaur districts, have all witnessed heavy snowfall, leading to hazardous driving conditions.The closure of roads has left hundreds of vehicles stranded, including those trapped in the Atal Tunnel, where a rescue operation successfully evacuated tourists from around 500 vehicles.
Despite the dangerous conditions, tourists have continued to flock to hill stations like Shimla and Manali for their Christmas and New Year vacations. In fact, room occupancy in Shimla has risen by 30 percentage points compared to last December, with figures now standing at 70 percent amid the snow-covered landscapes.
pop slots freeAs of Monday, Shimla had 145 roads closed, Kullu 25jackpot city casino, and Mandi 20, with many areas facing power outages due to transformer failures, totaling 356 cases. The government has deployed 268 snow-clearing machines, including two snow blowers, to address the mounting challenges.