New Delhi [India], December 25 : Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ajay Bhatt on Wednesday expressed grief over bus accident in Bhimtal area of Uttarakhand's Nainital in which four people lost their lives and 21 were injured.
BJP MP Ajay Bhatt said, "We all are deeply saddened by the bus accident that took place in Bhimtal Assembly constituency of Nainital district. It is a very painful incident in which 4 people died."
Thanking local people for their rescue efforts, Bhatt said, "I thank our local people that as soon as the bus went into the ditch, people worked with great enthusiasm even at difficult places and took risky steps...Around Rs 10 lakhs ex gratia is being given to the families of the deceased and the government is giving separate compensation money to those who are injured."
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami instructed to provide a relief amount of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the people who lost their lives in the bus accident near Nainital's Bhimtal, a press release from the CM Office said.
CM Dhami also instructed to give Rs 3 lakh to the seriously injured persons and Rs 15- 25 thousand to the normally injured persons.
"On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami, relief amount will be provided to the dead and injured in the bus accident that took place in Okhal of Bhimtal. Relief amount of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to the families of the dead, Rs 3 lakh to the seriously injured persons and Rs 15- Rs 25 thousand to the normally injured persons," the CMO release said.
CM Dhami further thanked the local people for coming together to help the police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to rescue the people.
"The local citizens coming together to help the police and SDRF in the difficult time of the road accident in Bhimtal shows that the people of our state are always ready to help each other. Heartfelt thanks to all you local people! With the help of all of you, many people could be rescued on time. This hard work and dedication of the rescue team and the local people is highly commendable," he posted on X.
SP Nainital, Jagdish Chandra said that the driver lost control of the bus and it fell into a 100 meter deep gorge.
"A roadways bus was heading from Pithoragarh to Haldwani. The driver lost control of the bus and it fell into a deep gorge...The injured have been rescued with the help of locals. 21 people have been injured and 4 people have died," he said.
CM Dhami condoled the death of four people in the accident and prayed for the speedy recovery of all the injured.
"The news of the death of 4 people in the unfortunate bus accident near Bhimtal is extremely heart-rending. I pray to God to grant peace to the souls of the departed and strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense loss," he posted on X.
"The seriously injured people are being treated at Sushila Tiwari Government Hospital, Haldwani, and a team of doctors from AIIMS Rishikesh has also been sent to Haldwani. I pray to God for the speedy recovery of all the injured," CM Dhami added.
As per the officials, the bus belongs to roadways and was going from Bhimtal to Haldwani with 20 to 25 people travelling on the bus.