Uttarakhand Bus Accident: 5 Dead, 20+ Injured After Bus Falls Into 70-Metre Gorge in Tehri

A tragic road accident in Uttarakhand’s Tehri district claimed five lives on Monday after a passenger bus fell into a 70-metre-deep gorge. The vehicle, which was carrying 28 passengers from different states, reportedly lost control on a mountain stretch and skidded off the road, plunging into the ravine.

According to officials familiar with the incident, the impact of the fall was so severe that five passengers died on the spot. Over 20 others sustained serious injuries.

Immediate Rescue Operation Launched by SDRF

The District Control Board immediately alerted the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), following which five rescue teams were mobilised from Post Dhalwala, Post Koti Colony and the SDRF Corps Headquarters. The teams trekked through the steep terrain to reach the accident site and carried out a difficult rescue operation.

SDRF officials confirmed that all injured passengers were successfully evacuated from the gorge and rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment. As of now, all survivors are under observation.

Rescue personnel also continued combing the area to ensure no passenger remained trapped in the debris or surrounding forest patches.

Frequent Accidents Raise Safety Concerns

Uttarakhand has witnessed a series of bus accidents this year, raising concerns about road safety on its hilly routes. In June, a bus travelling uphill to Badrinath plunged into the Alaknanda River near Rudraprayag after the driver lost control. Two people were killed, several were reported missing, and seven were rescued by the SDRF in that incident.

Experts have repeatedly pointed out that the state’s narrow roads, sharp bends, and unpredictable weather make mountain travel particularly risky, especially when combined with speeding, fatigue or mechanical failure.

Authorities are expected to launch an investigation into the Tehri accident to determine whether overspeeding, road conditions, or a technical fault caused the driver to lose control.

As rescue operations continue and injured passengers receive treatment, the latest incident adds to the growing demand for stricter safety checks, better road infrastructure and mandatory fitness inspections for hill-route vehicles.