A Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus fell into a deep gorge near Khanag in Kullu district today killing four persons, including two women, and injuring nine others, the police said.
Around 20 passengers were in the ill-fated bus which was on its way to Bagipul from Kullu, they said.
The driver had halted the bus on Aut-Luhri road near Khanag for a tea-break when a local person reportedly entered the driver's cabin and started the vehicle. He could not control the bus and it fell in Mashnu Nala, the police said without giving further details.
Three persons, including a woman, died on the spot while another woman succumbed to her injuries on way to a hospital, they said, adding the nine injured have been admitted to a hospital.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have expressed grief over the incident.
Singh has directed the district administration to ensure immediate relief and proper medical treatment for the victims.
In the early hours of Sunday, two Himachal roadway buses were hit by a massive landslide triggered by a cloudburst on the Mandi-Pathankot National Highway, leaving at least 46 people dead and several others injured.
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