Three pilgrims were killed, eight critically injured, and nine went missing as a bus bound for Badrinath Shrine fell into a 300 metres gorge in Rudraprayag on Thursday morning. Chances of survival for the missing pilgrims were remote, said State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) officials engaged in rescue and search operation.
Rescuers recovered three dead bodies while search for the nine missing persons from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttarakhand was going on. Eight injured pilgrims were rushed to the hospital.
The tragedy occurred near State Bank Turn, at Gholtir area in Rudraprayag when a 31-seater Char Dham pilgrimage bus UK 08 PA 7444, went out of control and plunged into Alaknanda River, nearly 300 meters down the road.
The bus was going from Rudraprayag to Badrinath carrying passengers from Rajasthan, Gujarat, MadhyaPradesh and Maharashtra. Bus driver Sumit Kumar was from Haridwar. As many as 20 passengers were seated in the bus when the ill-fated vehicle met with the tragedy.
SDRF officials informed that some of the pilgrims were thrown out of the bus as it skidded into the gorge before going into the river. They were rescued from the gorge by SDRF, NDRF, local public, police and revenue department teams. Around eight injured passengers were rescued and sent to Rudraprayag district hospital for medical aid. Some of the critically injured pilgrims were airlifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh.
Besides rescuing eight injured, SDRF and other rescue teams at the accident site recovered two dead identified as 42 years old Vishal Soni from Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh and 17 years old Dirmi from Surat in Gujarat. The third body of a woman pilgrim was taken out of the river near Dhari Devi temple far down the stream where the accident occurred. According to SDRF, she was one of the missing persons but her identity could not be confirmed.
The injured pilgrims included Deepika Soni, 42, Hemlata Soni, 45, both from Rajasthan, Ishwar Soni, 46, Bhavna Soni, 43, and 7-year old girl Bhavya Soni, all three from Surat in Gujarat.
Apart from them, a 10 year-old boy, Parth Soni, from Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh bus driver Sumit Kumar, 23, from Bairagi Camp in Haridwar and Amita Soni, 49, resident of Mira Road, Maharashtra were also sent to hospital for treatment.
The passengers stated to be missing were 28 years old Ravi Bhavsar, Lalit Kumar Soni, 48, Sanjay Soni,55, Chetna Soni, 52 and 77-year old Sushila Soni, all residents of Udaipur, Rajasthan. Mauli Soni, 19, Mayuri,24, Resident of Surat, Gujarat, and 12 years old Cheshta, all residents of Surat, Gujarat, Gauri Soni, 41, from Rajgarh Madhya Pradesh, and Katta Ranjana Ashok,59, from Mira Road, Maharashtra were also missing, according to the SDRF as. Rescue and search operation was going on at the time of filing the story.
The SDRF claimed that the rescue operation was challenging due to the strong current in the river, harsh terrain, bad weather and deep gorge. According to a SDRF official, the survival chances of the missing pilgrims was very low.
Expressing his grief over the accident, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said news of a bus carrying passengers plunged into a river in Rudraprayag was extremely sad. “Relief and rescue operation is going on a war footing by SDRF and other agencies. I am in constant contact with the local administration regarding this matter. Three seriously injured passengers have been airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh for immediate medical assistance. I pray to God for the speedy recovery of the injured” said Dhami.