At least 21 people were killed and over 50 injured when an overloaded private bus plunged nearly 100 feet down a hillside in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district on Monday.
The 42-seater bus carrying 63 passengers, including women and students, was on its way from Ramnagar to Udhampur when the accident took place around 9:30 am at Kaghote Morh, around 23 km from Udhampur.
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the accident, with Modi announcing an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the families of those killed and ₹50,000 for those injured.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured the families of the deceased and those injured of all possible assistance.
The rescue operation proved extremely challenging as the vehicle had been reduced to a mangled heap of iron, with its top portion almost completely torn off.
An army convoy passing along the hilly stretch led the rescue operations while the locals too pitched in.
PM Modi, CM Omar Abdullah, and LG Manoj Sinha offered condolences to the families of the victims.
