At least 16 people, including nine school pupils, died when a bus fell into a gorge in India’s northern Himachal Pradesh on Monday.
The private bus, carrying nearly 40 passengers, was heading to Sainj in the Kullu district of the Himalayan state in the early morning, said police chief Ashutosh Garg.
It left the road and was crushed by the impact of the fall.
Rescue teams, officials and ambulances rushed to the site, where they were helped by villagers.
Several bodies were recovered. Many more were feared trapped under the wreckage of the vehicle.
At least three injured people were taken to hospital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced monetary compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,500) for the bereaved families of those killed, and 50,000 rupees for the injured.
Mr Modi said: “The bus accident in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh is heart-rending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families.”
Watch — rescuers search for survivors after mudslide in India
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
