Eight members of a marriage party were killed early today when an overcrowded private pick-up vehicle skidded down in gorge in Chamba district.
The accident took place near at Batarwah on Lachordi-Talka road in Salooni Sub Division of Chamba district.
As per reports 18 passengers have been injured and admitted in Regional Hospital Chamba for treatment out of which four seriously injured had been referred to Tanda Medical College. Most of the dead and the injured were from Chamba district.
Eyewitnesses said the vehicle was overcrowded and the driver probably lost control over it while negotiating a curve.
Governor Kalyan Singh and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have expressed grief over the incident and wished speedy recovery to the injured.
The Chief Minister has directed district administration to provide best treatment to the injured. He said that a sum of Rs. 10,000 each has been given as an immediate relief to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs. 5,000 each to the injured.
H.P. Vidhan Sabha Speaker Brij Bihari Lal Butail, Cabinet Ministers and Chief Parliamentary Secretaries have also expressed grief over the bus accident.
