Ani – A major accident was narrowly avoided on Wednesday morning in the Ani area of Himachal Pradesh when a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus lost its tyre mid-journey. The incident occurred around 9 am near Nimla when the bus, traveling from Dalash, suffered a sudden tyre burst, causing it to swerve to the opposite side of the road. Thanks to the driver’s presence of mind, the vehicle was brought under control just in time, preventing it from plunging into a nearby gorge. The 13 passengers onboard escaped unhurt.
According to reports, the wheel of the bus detached, leading to the tyre completely separating from the vehicle. Alarmingly, this bus had been serviced just a day before at the Rampur workshop, raising serious concerns over the quality of maintenance. This is not an isolated incident—on January 31, another HRTC bus travelling from Nithar to Rampur faced a similar tyre burst in Khegsu. In that case, as well, the driver’s quick reflexes prevented a disaster.
Repeated incidents involving HRTC buses have raised serious safety concerns. The increasing frequency of HRTC bus failures, especially tyre bursts, is raising alarms about the transport corporation’s maintenance standards. While drivers have managed to avert major tragedies in recent cases, the risk to passenger lives remains high.
