One dead, six hurt as bus skids off road in HP; driver booked

One person was killed and six others injured as a Patiala-bound bus met with an accident allegedly due to rash and negligent driving in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district on Sunday, police said.

The PEPSU Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) bus (bearing number PB09X-3602) skidded off the road and rolled down about 100 meters from the road at Dhagoh, near Tunnuhatti, Chamba Superintendent of Police Dr Monica Bhutunguru said.

The bus, with nearly 10 passengers on board, was on its way to Patiala in Punjab from Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh, she added.

The deceased was identified as Jagdish Chand, a resident of Amritsar, the SP said. She added that a police team from Bakloh police post reached the spot immediately after getting the information of the accident at around 6.20 in the morning and rescued the injured passengers with the help of locals.

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The injured were rushed to the Sri Harigiri hospital, Bakloh, where their condition was reported to be stable, the SP said, adding that the injured passengers accused the driver of rash and negligent driving.

An FIR under sections 279, 337 and 304 A of the IPC was registered at the Chowari police station against bus driver Shamsher Singh, of Lakhna village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab, she said, adding that further investigation was on.