Himachal Pradesh: Private Bus Skids Off Road, Hangs Over Steep Slope in Chamba’s Churah

A major tragedy was averted in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district on Sunday when a private bus skidded off the Tissa-Bairagarh-Devi Kothi road in the Churah subdivision and came to a halt with part of the vehicle hanging precariously over a steep slope near Ghulei.
No one was injured in the incident. The bus operates on the Bairagarh-Devi Kothi-Tissa-Sanwal route but was not carrying passengers at the time. According to the information available, the driver and conductor were cleaning the vehicle when the incident occurred.
The incident took place when the conductor was reversing the bus to facilitate washing. The vehicle suddenly went off the road and stopped with a portion of it suspended over the hillside. The conductor managed to escape unhurt.
The precarious position of the bus attracted a large number of local residents, who gathered at the spot and rushed to check on the driver and conductor.
The incident comes weeks after a fatal accident involving a bus operated by the same private operator. On August 8, the bus was travelling from Bairagarh to Chamba when it rolled down a hill near Chalunj Mor.
Seven people were killed on the spot in that accident, while 11 others sustained injuries. Two of the injured later died during treatment, taking the total death toll to nine.
Following the latest incident, local residents have urged the authorities to install crash barriers at vulnerable points along the road. They have also called for the widening of narrow and damaged stretches to help prevent further accidents.
Salooni DSP Ranjan Sharma has appealed to bus operators and drivers to exercise caution and give priority to safety while driving on the mountainous roads.