Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], January 10 : Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil has said the state government was ensuring proper medical care for all those injured, adding that the expenses for their treatment would be borne entirely by the government.
Speaking to ANI on Friday here, he said some of the injured were in serious condition and had been referred to Shimla for advanced medical treatment.
"It is being ensured that those who are injured are taken care of properly. Some of them are serious and hence have been sent to Shimla. The state government will bear the expense of all of their treatments," he said.
The Health Minister assured that the authorities were closely monitoring the condition of the injured and that all necessary medical facilities were being provided to ensure their recovery.
At least 13 people, including the driver, have died after a private bus en route from Shimla-Solan to Kupvi plunged into a deep gorge near Haripurdhar in Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Friday.
The death toll may rise, as rescue and identification efforts are still underway.
Earlier, Naresh Chauhan, Principal Media Advisor to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, said that according to the information received so far, the bus skidded off the road and fell nearly 100 metres into a gorge.
"As per the information available at present, this was a private bus going from Solan to Kupvi. Near Haripurdhar, the bus fell off the road and plunged about 100 metres into a gorge, resulting in the death of 13 people. The driver is also among those who lost their lives," Chauhan said. He added that the cause of the accident is being investigated.
"The cause of the accident is being probed. According to the police, so far 22 injured passengers have been shifted by police and administrative teams to different hospitals," he said.
Chauhan said that the bus was carrying nearly 40 people.
"Around 40 people were believed to be travelling in the bus, though the exact number may be higher. It is reported that approximately 40 people were on the bus. This number could be more, as some passengers who were safe may have gone to hospitals on their own or returned home immediately after the accident, and efforts are underway to identify all passengers and ensure proper medical care for the injured," he said.
"Those who are injured are being provided treatment. The state machinery ensures medical facilities are available in hospitals during such incidents. Officers have reached the spot, and relief and rescue work is still in progress," he added.
Expressing condolences, he said the first priority was to ensure that the injured receive immediate medical treatment.
"The government expresses its condolences to all the bereaved families. Our first priority is to ensure that the injured receive immediate medical treatment and are taken to hospitals, and that formal confirmation of the deceased and injured is done after initial rescue operations," Chauhan said.
"Immediately after such accidents, the priority is to treat the injured. After that, the bodies are handed over to the families after completing post-mortem formalities. The reason behind the accident will be established after a detailed investigation," he added.
He reiterated that 13 deaths have been confirmed so far, but the toll could increase as more information comes in.