As per the reports, as many as 18 persons have been killed and over dozen injured when an ill fated private bus met with an accident at Bharari, around 15 Kilometres from Nohradhar in district Sirmaur today morning. The ill fated bus was on its way from Purandhar to Solan. As per the initial reports, there were around 35 passengers travelling in the bus.

Police said that all the bodies have been recovered and injured persons have been admitted to hospitals at Solan and Rajgarh. A large number of villagers rushed to the accident spot and helped the local administration in rescue work.

The deceased are yet to be identified but most of them are from Punradhar and surrounding villages. Most victims are said to be students studying in colleges in Solan and Rajgarh.

Governor Urmila Singh and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have expressed grief over the accident and conveyed their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

Chief Minister directed the district administration to provide all possible assistance to the victims and the kin of those who died in the mishap. He directed to carry out relief and rescue operations on war footing and wished early recovery of those injured.

Harbans Negi, Sub-divisional Magistrate Sangrah informed that a sum of rupees Rs. 10 thousand each had been provided as an immediate relief to the next of kin and rupees five thousand each to the injured. State government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident.

Brij Bihari Lal Butail, Speaker, H.P. Vidhan Sabha, Vidya Stokes, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Kaul Singh Thakur, Health and Family Welfare Minister, G.S. Bali, Transport Minister, Sujan Singh Pathania, MPP and Power Minister, Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Forest Minister, Mukesh Agnihotri, Industries Minister, Sudhir Sharma, Urban Development Minister, Prakash Chaudhary, Excise and Taxation Minister, Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Anil Sharma, Rural Development Minister, Jagat Singh Negi, Deputy Speaker, H.P. Vidhan Sabha, Rajesh Dharmani, Vinay Kumar and Neeraj Bharati, Jagjivan Pal, Rakesh Kalia, Nand Lal, Rohit Thakur, Sohan Lal and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, Balbir Verma, Chopal MLA, have also expressed grief over the bus accident.