35 dead, 15 critical after bus with 50 onboard falls into gorge in HP's Kullu

The death toll is likely to go up, said authorities.

KULLU: Thirty-five persons died after a bus with 50 persons on board fell into a 500-metre-deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu on Thursday. Fifteen other passengers are still critically injured/

The incident took place in Kullu's Tehsil Bazar around 4 pm. The bus was on its way to Gadagushani. Rescue operations are currently underway. Five ambulances have reached the accident spot. A team of seven doctors are on the alert to attend to the injured person, said authorities.

The locals were the first responders at the accident site. Later, the rescue personnel joined in.

Images from the accident site showed people escorting severely injured persons to safety.

More than 12 women, seven children, five to six girls and 10 youth have been rescued from the accident site. All those rescued are seriously injured and have been shifted to a nearby hospital.

Deeply saddened by the bus accident in Kullu. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. I hope the injured recover soon. The Himachal Pradesh Government is providing all possible assistance that is required: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 20, 2019

Expressing grief over the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Deeply saddened by the bus accident in Kullu. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. I hope the injured recover soon. The Himachal Pradesh Government is providing all possible assistance that is required."