Thirty, including 27 children, killed as school bus plunges into gorge; PM Modi expresses grief

Twenty-seven children were among 30 killed when a school bus ferrying them back home plunged into a deep gorge near village Gurchal on the Nurpur-Chamba highway, about 100 km from the district headquarters at Dharamsala.

The deceased children were students of Ram Singh Pathania Memorial School, police said.

Expressing grief over the deaths of 30 people, including 27 students and two teachers as the bus they were travelling fell into a deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that he was ‘deeply anguished.’

"I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones in the accident," Modi tweeted.

As many as 27 students, two teachers and a driver of the Wazir Ram Singh Pathania Memorial School died after a school bus they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge.

The fatal accident occurred near Gurchal village on Nurpur-Chamba road. The schoolbus was on its way to drop the children after school closed at 3 pm.

Chief Minister Jairam Thakur announced Rs 5 lakh each for the family of the accident victims and ordered a magisterial probe into the accident.

According to police officials, all the students in the bus were from the Wazir Ram Singh Pathania Memorial School. The bus was on its way to drop the children home after the school closed at 3 pm.

"All students killed in the accident are below 10 years. Nine students died at the incident site, while others succumbed during treatment or on way to  the nearest hospital," a senior police personnel on request of anonymity said.