Rudraprayag: At least three people were killed, eight injured and nine others reported missing on Thursday when a 31-seater bus carrying pilgrims from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to Badrinath fell into the Alaknanda River here, police said.
The vehicle met with the accident at around 7.30 am near the Gholtir village on the Badrinath National Highway between Rudraprayag and Gauchar.
Relief and rescue efforts, hampered by the strong currents of the river, are underway on the spot with the help of local villagers. Three bodies have been recovered so far, Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said. The deceased persons have been identified as Gauri Soni (41) and Vishal Soni (42) from Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh, and Drimmy (17), a resident of Surat in Gujarat.
The injured driver of the vehicle, who hails from Kankhal in Haridwar, claimed the bus fell into the river after being hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction. The driver is among the four injured airlifted to AIIMS, Rishikesh.
“I was driving at a speed of hardly around 10-20 kmph. We were going comfortably listening to bhajans when a truck hit the bus hard and it plunged into the gorge,” said Sumit, the driver, who is among the four injured airlifted to AIIMS, Rishikesh.