30 killed as bus falls into gorge in Meghalaya

A bus skidded off a hill road into a ravine in north-eastern India killing 30 passengers, police said Wednesday.

Police said that the personnel involved in rescue operations are finding it hard to carry out operations effectively as the bus fell into 500 feet deep gorge and the area is devoid of electricity and heavily forested.

Police said the accident happened when the Guwahati-bound bus from Assam’s Silchar district was crossing a narrow portion on NH 44 at Sonapur around 10 p.m. on Tuesday night.

The ravine was over 150 metres deep, Sangma said and rescue operations were hard. Further details are awaited.

Twenty-nine persons were killed and nine others injured in the accident.

Meghalaya Governor V. Shanmuganathan, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and Home Minister Roshan Warjri have expressed pain over the tragic deaths in the accident.

Thamar said the injured persons, who are in a critical condition, have been shifted to the NEIGRIMS and Jowai Civil hospital.

PM MODI TWEETS Deeply pained by the loss of lives caused by a bus mishap in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills District.