Death toll in Banjar accident rises to 45

SHIMLA: Death toll in Banjar bus accident reached 45 with a woman succumbing to injuries at PGI Chandigarh on Saturday. With many victims critically injured, it is being feared that death till would increase further and it could be the second biggest bus accident in the history of state. Earlier, 46 people from Punjab were killed in Manlikaran valley of Kullu district in a bus accident in July 2015.The worst accident of the decade had happened in August 2012 when 51 people, including 18 women, were killed when an overcrowded bus rolled into a gorge in Chamba.
In Banjar bus accident while government has ordered magisterial probe, police have also started their investigation.
The woman identified as Tara Devi of Bini village in Banjar succumbed to her injuries at PGI Chandigarh. She was among 12 patients, who were referred to PGI Chandigarh. 21 others are being treated at Regional Hospital Kullu, three at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla and one at Government Medical College Ner Chowk in Mandi.
To probe the reasons that led to this tragic accident, a committee under Kullu additional district magistrate has been constituted. It will submit its report within a week.
As the accident has left entire state shocked, the state government has now started making efforts to tighten the noose around erring drivers by making it mandatory to paste their licence and photo on vehicles. Road safety clubs would also be constituted at district levels.
While interacting informally with mediapersons in Shimla on Saturday, chief secretary B K Agarwal said that at the time of conducting fitness test of vehicles, help of experts from vehicle manufacturing companies would also be taken. He said that to create awareness about road accidents, master trainders would also be appointed in educational institutions.
He said that decision has been to off road school buses that are 15 years or older. He said that monitoring of all 266 driving schools in the state would also be done.
He said that 1,500 new bus routes would be allotted in the state and for this a committee headed by deputy commissioners at district level would be constituted. He said that allotment would be done only on the routes suggested by committee.
Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri said that said that state government has failed to ensure the safety of commuters. He said that no official or political leader is ready to take the responsibility of road accidents.