9 killed, 10 hurt as State bus plunges into gorge
Source: The Sangai Express / NNN

Imphal/Dimapur, October 02 2009: Atleast nine passengers, including a two and half year old child, were killed and at least 10 others injured when an Inter-State passenger bus which had left Imphal met an accident along the Highway towards Dimapur last midnight.

According to Dimapur Police, the unfortunate incident occurred at a spot 30 kms off Kuki Solong, a place for halt for passengers travelling along National Highway 39 (Imphal-Dimapur Road).

Quoting the statements of the injured passengers, Dimapur police informed that the bus (registration no.MN-04A/2629 Rajdhani Express), carrying 30 passengers, had come from Imphal at around 10 am yesterday.

Along the way, the tyres of the bus got punctured thrice compelling some of the passengers to catch other buses to go ahead.

Assam Rifles personnel leading the rescue work at Dimapur last night

While approaching the site of the accident, which is marked by sharp bends, most of the passengers were sleeping and the bus was running on full speed.

Out of the nine passengers, eight of them have been so far identified as two and half year old Rasid Khan, 28-year old Esther Mao, 24-year old Pepy Lamkang, 24-year old Yangsamongchong (who was a personnel of 10 IRB , Nagaland), Aboi, Tomba, Adem and Paojalung Pamei.

Sources at Imphal said that Rasid Khan may be from Saiton while Paojalung was from Sawombung.

Aboi and Tomba were bus drivers while Adem was the handyman.

Official sources revealed that nine bodies had been recovered so far and the rescue operation is still on.

Sources said that out the several passengers injured, ten people are reported to be in critical condition.

The dead include seven male including a child and two female.

The bodies are kept at the Dimapur Civil Hospital mortuary for necessary procedures.

Sources said the accident occurred at around 11.30 pm on Thursday, after the Dimapur bound Royal Rajdhani passenger bus, bearing registration number MN 01 2629, while negotiating a sharp turn, fell into a gorge just before reaching the Chumukedima Check gate.

Meanwhile, the 20th Assam Rifles jawans are heading the rescue operation in retrieving the bodies from the river.

Besides, administrative officials, police and general public are also extending their help to find the bodies.

The injured passengers have been reportedly admitted to different hospitals of Dimapur.

Information received from the ticketing counters at North AOC here said that though the ill-fated passenger bus belongs to Rajdhani Express, it had been hired by a travel agency called Golden Express for that particular journey.

Earlier in the day a Maruti van went off the road and slided into the valley near Pherima village injuring seven persons on board.

The timely action by the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) and the medical staff of the Battalion successfully conducted a rescue and relief operation by rescuing all the injured person from the valley and providing them first aid.

The Assam Rifles continued to be committed to the populace residing/transiting within the area of responsibility.