On Tuesday morning, a bus traveling from Ramnagar in Nainital from Almora’s Dwarahat carrying 19 passengers onboard, fell into a gorge, 7 killed and 12 injured badly, confirmed police. SSP Devender Pincha said that a private bus with 19 passengers onboard was heading to Ramnagar in Nainital from Almora’s Dwarahat when it fell into a gorge around 9 am on Tuesday, killing six people instantly. He added that police are investigating the cause of the accident and if any technical faults resulted in it.
The State Disaster Response Force is carrying out a rescue operation, among the 12 injured, six were severely wounded, three referred to AIIMS Rishikesh and three others referred to Ramnagar for further treatment. Others with minor injuries are being treated at the government hospital in Bhikiyasain.
As per a SDRF official, the bus while turning slipped into a gorge 200 metres below the road, “It seems like there was a technical fault as the driver could not veer it away from the bend. The bus was not overloaded with passengers. The regional transport officials have been asked to probe into the matter.” The bus is owned by Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), registered in 2019 and has 2 challans pending related to traffic and parking violation in Najibabad, UP.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami shares details of the accident
The Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami tweeted, “An extremely tragic news of a bus traveling from Bhikiyasain to Ramnagar in Almora district has met with an accident on the Bhikiyasain–Vinayak motor road, casualties among the travelers have been reported. This incident is deeply painful and heartbreaking. I pray to God for peace for departed souls and to give strength to the bereaved families.” Sharing further details, Dhami wrote, the injured passengers are being treated at nearby hospitals by the district administration. And those who are critical are referred to higher medical centers. Passengers who died in the accident are identified as Govind Ballabh (80), Parvati Devi (75), Nandan Singh (65), Tara Devi (50), Ganesh (25), Umesh (25), and Govindi Devi (58).
More than 1000 road accidents have been reported every year in Uttarakhand because of the narrow roads and mountain terrain, making it dangerous. Especially during monsoon and winter, because of low visibility. In February 2025, the Uttarakhand cabinet decided to reduce accidents by 50 per cent by 2030. The policy would ensure safety of road users, raise awareness among the public, develop safer infrastructure, enforce compliance with road safety and traffic regulations, strengthen emergency medical care for accident victims, and promote qualitative research on road safety.
