Tuesday, 20 June 2023 | PNS | DEHARDUN
A bus carrying at least 50 pilgrims from Punjab overturned one kilometre ahead of Reetha Sahib near Dhaun in Champawat district late on Sunday night. A total of 25 pilgrims sustained injuries out of whom seven were referred to a higher centre for treatment. The driver has claimed that the accident occurred because of brake failure but an expert team will verify this claim after analysing the condition of the bus, said the police circle officer of Champawat, BC Pant.
He told The Pioneer that the accident occurred on National Highway 9 near Dhaun on Sunday night when the bus carrying about 50 pilgrims was on its way to the Ropar district in Punjab. The passengers were returning from the Reetha Sahib Gurudwara. He said that the local police and the State Disaster Response Force carried out a relief and rescue operation till the wee hours of Monday after the mishap. Out of nearly 50 pilgrims, a total of 25 pilgrims were injured. “Out of these 25 injured pilgrims, seven sustained serious injuries and were in a critical condition. They were later referred to Sushila Tiwari hospital in Haldwani to get proper treatment.
The remaining 18 injured pilgrims were sent to the district hospital in Champawat for treatment. The health of all pilgrims is stable and no loss of life was reported till late on Monday evening,” said the CO. The critically injured pilgrims include three senior citizens aged 65 to 70 years besides a 53-year-old man, two teenagers and one infant, as per the police.
