25 from Madhya Pradesh die as bus falls into a gorge in Uttarkashi

Bhopal, Jun 5 (PTI) The bus that fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi on Sunday was carrying 28 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh's Panna district, as per the state government.

According to the Uttarkashi administration, at least 25 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh died and three were critically injured on Sunday evening when the bus they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge en route to the Yamunotri temple in the Uttarkashi district. Expressing condolence over the death of pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh in the bus accident, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he along with state minister Bijendra Pratap Singh, DGP Sudhir Saxena, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora and the entire team are leaving for Dehradun immediately in the night.

The MP Home Department has issued a list of 28 passengers from the Panna district who were travelling in the ill-fated bus.

“I have talked to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Dhami ji over the phone and requested him to ensure adequate arrangements for the treatment of the injured,” Chouhan said in a tweet.

The chief minister said he had sought information about the incident and rescue operations and is in constant touch with Dhami.

“I and my team are in constant touch with the Uttarakhand government and local district administration. The arrangements are being made to treat the injured and bring the bodies to Madhya Pradesh,” the chief minister said.

The accident took place near Rikhavu khadd on the way to the Himalayan shrine around two km from Damta on NH-94, said Uttarkashi District Disaster Management Officer Devendra Patwal.

“After the horrific accident in Uttarakhand, I am leaving for Uttarakhand along with my cabinet colleague Bijendra Pratap Singh, Director General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Saxena, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora and the entire team. Can't live peacefully in Bhopal in such sad times,” he added.

Chouhan said a team of the MP government from Delhi has already left for Uttarakhand to oversee the arrangements to shift the bodies to MP and ensure the medical treatment of the injured.

“Our team has left for Uttarakhand from Delhi which will make arrangements for relief, rescue, and treatment (of the injured) besides transporting the bodies of the devotees to their homes (in MP)," he said, adding that the MP chief secretary is in constant touch with his Uttarakhand counterpart.

Chouhan announced Rs 5 lakh each will be given to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured persons. "Medical treatment of the injured is our priority,” he added.

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing the ex-gratia of Rs two lakh to the kin of those killed in the bus accident and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

MP BJP president and Khajuraho MP, VD Sharma, also expressed condolence over the incident.

The deceased and injured are the natives of Sharma's Lok Sabha constituency.

Sharma said he also spoke to the Uttarakhand CM besides the families of the deceased pilgrims.

Local BJP leaders are helping the bereaved families, he said.

MP Congress chief Kamal Nath also expressed grief over the incident.