Dehradun: At least 16 people were killed and over a dozen passengers seriously injured when a bus fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand yesterday, police said.
The accident took place at Juyalgarh near the Chandraprabha bridge. The ill-fated bus was going from Haridwar to Gwaldam and had 33 passengers in it.
Police said the survivors told them that the driver was speeding and lost control while negotiating a turn. A rivulet created following the heavy rain that has been pounding the hill state added to the problems in the rescue operation as the bus fell into it.
The injured were admitted to the Srinagar base hospital. Only one passenger survived unhur.
Chief Minister Harish Rawat has announced Rs.1 lakh compensation for the kin of the dead. He will fly to the hospital Sunday to meet the injured.
Bihar issues flood alert in five districts
Patna: Bihar issued a flood alert in five districts yesterday following a heavy gush of water in Son river from Indrapuri Barrage, an official said.
“We have sent alerts to the district magistrates of Arwal, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Jehanabad and Patna in view of likely floods in low lying areas along the Son after the discharge of nearly three lakh cusecs of water from Indrapuri Barrage caused by incessant rain,” an official of the state disaster management department said. The district magistrates have been asked to shift people to safer places and provide all possible help in case of flooding, the official said.
Four held for extortion in Bengal
Siliguri: Four people, including a father-son duo, who extorted money in the guise of Maoists, were yesterday arrested here in West Bengal, police said. Siliguri Police Commissioner Jagmohan said the gang used to extort money from local businessmen by making threat calls posing as Maoists. They were arrested from a rented house in Siliguri.
Police also suspect the gang to be involved in earlier instances of extortion using the names of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Bimal Gurung and general secretary Roshan Giri. Three mobile phones and several SIM cards, and Rs11,500 in case was seized from them.
IANS
