Thirty-six people were killed and 27 injured after an overcrowded and speeding bus veered off a sharp curve on a highway and plunged 200 meters into a gorge in Uttarakhand on Monday morning.

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The bus, which was carrying people returning to work after the Diwali break, was heading from Dhumakot in Pauri Garhwal district to Ramnagar in Nainital, about 72 km away.

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Officials said the 42-seater was full to capacity and was carrying 63 people, including the driver and conductor. It was owned and operated by Garhwal Motor Owner’s Union Limited, a private tour firm based in Kotdwar in Pauri Garhwal.

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Investigators have yet to identify the cause of the accident, although police officials said overcrowding may have contributed to the accident, the worst in the hill state since July 2018, when 48 people were killed in Pauri Garhwal. Some survivors said the axle of the bus collapsed under the weight of the crowd.

“The axle broke and the driver lost control. I closed my eyes as the bus rolled down the road. I don’t know how I managed to get out,” said Ayush (17), a student traveling with his family.

Police said 10 of the dead were women and 28 people died on the spot.

“The other eight succumbed to a hospital in Ramnagar,” said Devendra Pincha, Almora Senior Superintendent of Police.

President Droupadi Murmi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led condolences.

Meanwhile, the state government has ordered a magisterial inquiry and suspended the deputy regional transport officers of Pauri and Almora.

At least 127 people have died in bus accidents since June this year in Uttarakhand, where narrow and winding roads in mountainous terrain often make transit treacherous, especially during the monsoon and winter when visibility makes difficult journeys difficult.

Officials said the bus started for Ramnagar from Kainath village in Dhumakot around 6.30 am. The driver, Dinesh Singh, failed to negotiate a curve near Kupi, Almora around 8.45 am. It went through the barricade, rolled 200m down the steep hill and crashed into the bottom of the gorge, meters away from a stream.

Images showed the bus crumpled in a heap on its side. Most of the passengers were asleep and woke up jolted when the bus began to slide down, survivors said.

“I was asleep and was awakened by a sharp jerk. The bus rolled down the road and all I could hear was people screaming. We came to a screeching halt seconds later. The locals came to our aid. When I finally got out of the broken down bus, there were dead bodies and injured people all around,” said Jagdeep, 38, who works in Delhi.

The dangerous terrain complicated rescue operations, local officials said.

State disaster response force commander Arpan Yaduvanshi said, “Bringing the bodies up was a challenge given how steep the gorge is. The bodies were stuck inside the bus. Four teams were involved in the rescue and rescue operation.”

Pauri regional transport officer Dwarika Prasad said the bus had a fitness certificate and a valid licence.

Dwarika Prasad, regional transport officer, Pauri, said the bus left Kainath in Dhumakot tehsil around 6.30 am for Ramnagar in Nainital district.

“These were registered with the transport department in 2009 and were valid until 2025,” he said.

He said the department inspects buses regularly to check overcrowding.

“We carry out regular checks against overcrowding in buses. Apparently the bus was overcrowded as many were returning to work after Diwali.”

Vineet Pal, Almora district disaster management officer, said four injured people were airlifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh.

“It is not yet known whether the conductor is alive or dead… We still need to establish the cause of the accident. It will be known only after an investigation,” he said.

Harsh Vardhan Rawat, Secretary, Garhwal Motor Owner’s Union Limited, said, “The ‘Kamani’ (leaf spring suspension) of the bus broke while the bus was passing the bend in the road and the vehicle tipped to one side and rolled into the gorge ,” he said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who met the injured at Ramnagar hospital, ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident and suspended the regional transport officers (ARTOs) of Almora and Pauri Garhwal districts for negligence.

“It is an unfortunate incident… we have also asked the Kumaon Commissioner for a magisterial inquiry and suspension of the concerned department officials. Action will be taken against negligence. Our priority is to provide treatment to the injured for their speedy recovery,” he said.

President Murmu, in a post on X, said: “The news of the death of many people, including women and children, in a road accident in Almora is heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.”

Prime Minister Modi said, “Condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the road accident in Almora, Uttarakhand. I wish a speedy recovery to all the injured. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is making all possible efforts for rescue and relief.”

He also announced compensation of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for each injured person.

Dhami also announced ex gratia de ₹4 lakh for the relatives of each deceased and ₹1 lakh each for the injured.