14 killed as bus falls into gorge in Himachal's Sirmaur; PM announces ex-gratia for victims
Nahan (HP) (PTI): Fourteen people have died in the bus mishap in Himachal's Sirmaur after a bus fell into a 500-foot deep gorge, police said on Friday.
The accident occurred in the afternoon, when an overloaded private bus, surpassing its seating capacity of 39, veered off the road on its way to Kupvi from Shimla, and fell into the gorge.
It landed upside down near Haripurdhar village, around 95 kilometres from the district headquarters, Nahan. Besides 14 casualties, which include eight females, about 52 people have sustained injuries as per the list released by the administration.
ALSO READ: Nine killed, around 40 injured as private bus falls into 500-feet deep gorge in Himachal's Sirmaur
The deceased have been identified as Himanshi, Balbir Singh, Sanam, Vilam Singh, Promila Devi, Surat Singh, Suman, Ramesh, Kiyan, Riyanshi, Mohan Singh, Priyanka and Sakshi, while one body is yet to be identified, officials said.
Expressing grief over the accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
"The loss of lives due to a bus mishap in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, is extremely saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones.
Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured.
"An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM," PMO said in a post on X.
President Droupadi Murmu also mourned the deaths and said on X: "I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones in this accident. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured individuals." Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a statement issued here, expressed deepest condolences and directed the district authorities to provide all possible assistance to the next of kin of those killed in the accident and ensure the best medical care to the injured.
The BJP national president and Union health Minister J P Nadda, Leader of the Opposition in Himachal Assembly Jai Ram Thakur and state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal, Shimla BJP MP Suresh Kashyap and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri have also expressed grief on the tragedy.
Industry Minister and local MLA from the Shallai assembly segment, Harshwardhan Chauhan, said the district administration has been put on alert, and medical teams and doctors at Dadahu, Sangrah and Nahan hospitals are prepared to treat the injured.
He said the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained and expressed condolences on the incident.
Locals on the spot suspect that the bus driver might have lost control of the vehicle, following which it skidded off the road due to frost accumulation.
In videos circulating on social media, a large crowd is seen helping in the rescue operations, trying to get the injured out of the wreckage of the bus. Officials of the district administration, police and others are also at work.
Balbir Chauhan, a resident of Haripurdhar and member of the BJP state working committee, said that the locals have done remarkable work in rescuing the passengers from the deep gorge in the difficult conditions.
Agnihotri and Chauhan also visited Nahan medical college to see the injured people.
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Withdraw 'disrespectful' remark against Rahul Gandhi and apologise: Pilot asks Rijiju
Mumbai (PTI): Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday hit out at Union minister Kiren Rijiju for passing a "disrespectful and inappropriate" remark against Rahul Gandhi, and asked him to apologise for it.
He was answering a query regarding Rijiju's reported statement in which he described Gandhi as the "most dangerous person" for India's security, and a purported video of a man claiming to be from Karni Sena issuing death threats to the Congress leader.
Addressing a press conference here, Pilot said, "When ordinary journalists criticise the government, they face FIRs and jail. But when threats are issued against the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), there is silence. This shows the government's intention. LoP is a constitutional position. To describe him as a security threat is inappropriate and disrespectful. Even as such open threats are being made, the government is not taking any action."
"The statement 9against Gandhi) should be withdrawn and an apology should be issued," the Congress general secretary said, adding that it is the job of the LoP to seek accountability from the government and ask questions.
To a query on the plane crash in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed on January 28, Pilot said, "I do not want to speculate. There should be a transparent, time-bound inquiry. If there are doubts, a high-level investigation should clarify facts."
When asked about the demand for leadership change in the opposition INDIA bloc, he said, "Leadership decisions are internal matters. The alliance worked remarkably well in the last Lok Sabha election. The gap in numbers between the INDIA bloc and the NDA was not very wide. We are working together strongly and will continue to do so."
The Congress has been helming the INDIA bloc, a coalition of Opposition parties formed before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to counter the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, voices from disgruntled Congress members and those associated with the UPA dispensation suggested that the leadership of the opposition alliance should be given to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin.
On Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Indian economy, Pilot said, "India is a major IT power. We have talent and capability. Many countries see India as a natural partner. But we must use our strengths wisely and not compromise our sovereignty under pressure."
"India should have the freedom to decide where to buy oil from. That is a sovereign decision," Pilot said.
On the issue of illegal migration, he said anybody staying illegally in India should be removed regardless of religion or caste.
"But this issue should not be politicised. If the border has been under control for 11 years, how did illegal immigrants enter? The government should provide data on how many people have been deported," he said.
"This government's intent and policies are anti-farmer and there is no accountability. The opposition will continue to demand answers from the government and stand with farmers and the people of India," he said.
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