Three dead as bus with pilgrims falls into Bhagirathi

Uttarkashi: At least three persons were killed and seven others injured this evening when a bus ferrying pilgrims plunged into the Bhagirathi river near Nalupani here.

The casualties may rise as there were around 29 passengers, mostly from Indore, in the bus and many of them are still trapped inside the wreckage, Uttarkashi DM Ashish Shrivastava said.

The accident took place around 6 PM when the bus was carrying passengers from the Himalayan shrine of Gangotri to Haridwar.

Three bodies have been recovered so far and seven injured have been rescued from the mangled remains of the bus which fell 300 metres down the road into the river, he said.

Rescue operations are being carried out with the help of ITBP, SDRF and police force with much difficulty due to the dark, Shrivastava said.

The injured have been admitted to the district hospitals Uttarkashi and Chinyalisaur, he said.

The bus was carrying ‘Chardham’ pilgrims from Gangotri to Haridwar from where they had to go to Kedarnath, the DM said.