Srinagar, Aug 22 (UNI) Seven people were killed and 21 others sustained injuries some of them critically when a school bus skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in the Union territory of Ladakh on Thursday, officials said.
With the death of a critically injured person in a hospital in Leh, the toll in the bus accident reached seven, officials said.
Meanwhile, Advisor Ladakh, Pawan Kotwal has expressed his deep sorrow over the tragic accident at Durbuk on Thursday.
“I am deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic accident at Durbuk today in which seven people lost their lives and 21 others have been injured”, Kotwal said.
He also expressed heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their near and dear ones in the accident.
The ill-fated School bus carrying staff including two children, was on its way to Leh when the driver lost control over it while negotiating a curve at Durbuk and fell into a deep gorge causing injuries to 28 persons.
Soon after the accident the Police, Army, and local people launched a major rescue operation and shifted the injured to a nearby health facility where doctors declared six dead on arrival.
Earlier during the day the District Magistrate Leh Santosh Sukhadeva said an unfortunate incident happened when a bus of School Lamdon carrying around 25 passenger staff including two children met with an accident at Durbuk.
“There have been six casualties and over 19 other injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment”, he said.
The condition of several other injured persons is stated to be very critical who have been shifted to Sonam Nurboo Memorial (SNM) hospital and Army Hospital in Leh for treatment.
He said three helicopters were pressed into service, two from the Airforce and one from the army to shift the injured to hospitals for treatment.
He said the bus carrying the staff had gone to attend the marriage party of one of the staff at Durbak.
The police have registered a case to ascertain the cause of the accident.