BILASPUR: Two pilgrims died on the spot and several others sustained serious injuries after a bus carrying devotees from Punjab lost control and overturned near Shahtalai in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district on Sunday.
The victims were returning to Amritsar after paying obeisance at the famous Baba Balak Nath temple when the driver lost control of the vehicle (PB-03 BJ-9755) near Shahtalai, causing it to flip on the middle of the road and trapping dozens of passengers inside.
Following the crash, personnel from the Shahtalai police station, members of the local taxi union, and nearby villagers rushed to the spot to launch immediate rescue operations. Emergency responders worked through the wreckage to pull out trapped passengers, who were then ferried to nearby medical facilities using private vehicles and taxis.
Eyewitnesses noted that proper immediate treatment facilities were unavailable at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Shahtalai right after the incident. Consequently, local residents and rescue teams shifted the injured to a nearby private hospital for prompt medical care.
Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar confirmed the two deaths and stated that the administration, police, local taxi union, and residents actively coordinated the relief work. He added that all the injured are being provided timely medical attention. Meanwhile, the Shahtalai police have registered a case and initiated an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.
