Dehradun, June 1 (IANS) One passenger was killed and more than 26 others were injured in two separate bus accidents reported from different parts of Uttarakhand on Monday morning. Police teams have reached both accident sites, and further investigation is underway.

The first accident occurred in the Saptarishi area under the Nagar Kotwali police station limits in Haridwar, where a passenger bus lost control and overturned, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to 26 others.

According to reports, a group of pilgrims from Rajasthan had arrived in Haridwar in a double-decker bus. After taking a holy dip in the Ganga, they were preparing to return home. As the bus was being reversed in the Saptarishi area before beginning its return journey, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn on the roadside.

Around 45 passengers were travelling on the bus at the time of the accident. The incident triggered panic among passengers, with cries for help heard from inside the overturned vehicle. Upon receiving information about the mishap, police and emergency teams rushed to the spot and shifted the injured passengers to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Authorities also initiated efforts to remove the overturned bus from the road with the help of a crane. The deceased has been identified as 50-year-old Pushpakwar, wife of Bhanwar Singh, a resident of Nagaur district in Rajasthan.

Police said the accident occurred near Shantikunj while the bus was being reversed along the roadside. In an attempt to avoid colliding with the overturned vehicle, the driver of an approaching dumper truck lost control and crashed into a roadside dhaba. A parked Bolero vehicle was also hit in the incident and sustained damage. However, no additional injuries were reported from the secondary collision.

In a separate incident in Tehri district, several passengers were injured after another bus overturned near Jaulangi village. The bus was travelling from Gangotri to Kedarnath when the accident occurred about three kilometres from Kandikhal towards Chamba.

Officials said there were approximately 22 people on board, including the driver and conductor. Rescue teams reached the spot soon after the accident and shifted the injured passengers to a nearby medical facility.

No fatalities have been reported in the Tehri accident so far. Authorities said some passengers sustained injuries, and their condition is being monitored. Police have launched investigations into both accidents to determine the exact causes of the incidents.

–IANS

jk/rad