(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Nov 4 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the families and loved ones of the bus accident victims, who lost their lives in a tragic road mishap in Almora, Uttarakhand on Monday.
PM Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the 36 deceased in the mishap from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
An amount of Rs 50,000 will be given to those injured in the mishap.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami has also announced monetary compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to those injured in the tragic accident.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the Almora bus accident has climbed to 36 from the 20 announced initially.
According to the authorities, the incident happened when a 45-seater passenger bus fell into a 200-metre-deep gorge at Marchula this morning while travelling from Pauri in Garhwal to Ramnagar in Kumaon.
Uttarakhand CM, taking strict cognisance of the matter, has ordered suspension of Regional Transport Officials (RTO) in the area.
A magisterial enquiry has also been ordered into the reasons behind the accident.
The road accident happened at around 8.25 A.M. on Monday morning.
Following the accident, the locals and nearby villagers were the first to take up the rescue work.
The state administration rushed rescue teams to the spot, who lifted and shifted the victims to hospital for treatment.
Sharing details about the rescue mission, the Chief Minister also posted on X,“The local administration and SDRF teams at the accident site are working rapidly to evacuate the injured and take them to the nearest health centre for treatment. Instructions have also been given to airlift seriously injured passengers if required."
According to reports, the bus was overloaded with passengers at the time of the accident.
Eyewitnesses said that the bus driver lost control when it reached Kupel village and the vehicle veered off the highway. At the time of the accident, over 40 people were traveling in the bus.
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