5 killed, 33 injured as bus falls into Himachal gorge

Shimla, March 10 (IANS) At least five people were killed and 33 injured when a state roadways bus rolled into a gorge near Chamba town in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, police said.

The bus was going to Chamba town from Chandigarh when it skidded off the national highway and fell into the gorge some 25 km before Chamba.

The accident spot is some 475 km from the state capital.

Chamba Deputy Commissioner Vivek Bhatia said most of the injured were admitted to the district hospital in Chamba.

He said the driver was negotiating a curve when the bus rolled down the hill.

Eyewitnesses said the administration had a tough time extricating the victims from the badly-mangled bus.

It took hours for rescuers and police to climb down the mountain and bring up the bodies.

People in the area began rescue operations even before local authorities reached the spot.

Most of the victims were from Chamba district, one of the remotest places in the state.