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13 killed as bus plunges into gorge in Kullu

      Kullu: At least 13 passengers were killed and 39 injured after a bus in which they were travelling, plunged into a deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu District late on Tuesday. "As I came out of my house there was a loud sound. We thought there was a minor landslide. I live nearby, and when I got out of the house some small children came running and told us a tipper (dumper) has fallen. But I was wondering how the children got onto a tipper. We ran here and saw children crying. One of the injured people said a bus had fallen. When I came close, I saw there were bodies strewn all around," said, Jeet Ram, a local. Most of the injured are being treated at the district hospital in Kullu, 40 kilometres away from the accident site. Officials said six people were brought dead to the hospital. "I believe there were approximately 60-65 people in the bus... 40 people who were seriously injured have been brought here and six people died on the spot...six people have been sent to the District Hospital in Kullu...Total casualties are 12 and the injured people admitted in the hospital are 47 in number, out of which one has been sent to PGI (Post Graduate Institute) and we are referring five to IGMC (Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla), " said, Rakesh Kapoor, Assistant Commissioner, Kullu. India has one of the worst traffic accident rates in the world, as drivers rarely follow traffic rules. Poor driving skills, and a lack of a regulatory mechanism contribute significantly to this high accident rate. According to National Transport Planning and Research Centre estimate, there are 35 deaths per 1,000 vehicles in India, which is the highest in the world.
-Nov 15,  2006

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