Uttarakhand: CM Orders Intensive Vehicle Checking Drive After Bhimtal Bus Accident

Dehradun (Uttarakhand): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that intensive checking campaigns will be carried out to scrutinise the driving licenses and other relevant documents of vehicles coming from other states, owing to the bus accident in Kumaon’s Bhimtal where five people lost their lives.

The Chief Minister also directed Kumaon Commissioner Deepak Rawat to conduct intensive checking campaigns in the hilly areas to prevent road accidents. Rawat has been given the responsibility to manage the traffic in the Kumaon division.

The bus accident left at least 21 people injured and two people who sustained serious injuries were shifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh via ambulance helicopter. This came after CM Dhami instructed officials to airlift the injured to AIIMS Rishikesh if necessary while assuring that the government was committed to assisting the victims.

He was in Haldwani for a one-day program on Thursday and met the injured persons, admitted in the Dr Sushila Tiwari hospital, who sustained injuries in the bus accident on Wednesday. The Chief Minister instructed the hospital administration to provide better treatment.

On December 25, CM Dhami instructed a relief amount of Rs 10 lakh be provided to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident. Of Rs 10 lakh as the relief amount, the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation will contribute Rs five lakh while Rs 2 lakh will be provided from the Road Safety Fund and Rs three lakh from CM’s Discretionary Fund.

The Chief Minister also ordered Rs three lakh for those seriously injured and between Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000 for those with minor injuries.

“On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami, relief will be provided to the deceased and injured in the bus accident that occurred in Okhal, Bhimtal. A relief amount of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to the families of the deceased, Rs three lakh to the seriously injured, and Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 to the others,” the CMO release said.

CM Dhami further thanked the local community for their assistance in helping the police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescue the victims.

“The local citizens coming together to assist the police and SDRF during this difficult time following the Bhimtal road accident shows that the people of our state are always ready to support each other. Heartfelt thanks to all of you! With your help, many people were rescued on time. The dedication and hard work of the rescue teams and local residents are highly commendable,” he posted on X.

A bus in Bhimtal, Nainital, fell into a 100-metre-deep gorge on Wednesday, resulting in four fatalities and at least 21 injuries. SP Nainital, Jagdish Chandra, stated that the driver lost control of the bus, which subsequently fell into the gorge.