Two killed as bus falls into gorge in Himachal

Two people were killed and 35 injured when a state-run bus skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district early Tuesday.

The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus from Delhi to Darlaghat in Bilaspur slipped off the highway and fell into a 200-ft gorge near Jabli, about 35 km from Chandigarh.

"Two people died on the spot and 35 were injured," Superintendent of Police (Solan) Prem Kumar Thakur said.

He said eight of the seriously injured have been referred to Chandigarh's Government Medical College and Hospital. The two men belonged to Himachal Pradesh.

Relief and rescue operations were carried out by personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) posted at Dharampur, near the accident site, and the police.

Transport Minister Mohinder Singh had on Monday told the state assembly that the government was considering installing global positioning systems (GPS) in state-run and private buses to reduce the rate of road accidents.

He said the government has taken several measures to reduce the number of accidents, including banning the use of mobile phone by drivers and audio systems in buses.

"Most of the accidents have occurred due to human errors. Rash driving, overloading and use of mobile phone are primarily responsible for the accidents," Mohinder Singh said.