Mandi: On Thursday, a tragic incident occurred in the Sarkaghat area of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals, including four women, and leaving 21 others injured when a state-run bus veered off the road and plunged approximately 100 feet, according to police reports.

The accident happened at Tarangla near Maseran while the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus, carrying 29 people, including the driver and conductor, was en route from Sarkaghat to Durgapur.

Police confirmed that five victims were pronounced dead at the Civil Hospital Sarkaghat, two at the Government Medical College Nerchowk, and one at AIIMS Bilaspur.

Seventeen injured individuals are currently receiving treatment at the Government Medical College Nerchowk, AIIMS Bilaspur, and RKGMC Hamirpur, while four others are being treated at the Civil Hospital Sarkaghat, as reported by authorities.

Local residents first noticed the accident and quickly alerted the police.

Mandi SP Sakshi Verma stated that local police and ambulance teams swiftly arrived at the scene and conducted a rescue operation, maneuvering through the challenging terrain to assist the victims.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation, as Verma, who was present at the location, indicated.

Reports suggest that an injured female passenger requested assistance from a bystander to retrieve her bag containing Rs 1.5 lakh in cash. The bystander searched for the bag and successfully returned it to the injured woman.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who oversees the transport department, visited the injured at AIIMS Bilaspur.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed his sorrow over the tragedy and instructed the Mandi district administration to provide ex-gratia compensation to the families of the deceased and ensure the best possible care for the injured.

He also offered prayers for the souls of the departed and for the strength of the grieving families to cope with this profound loss.

In addition, BJP MP from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, conveyed her condolences regarding the loss of life in this unfortunate event.