Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], June 26 (ANI): At least three persons were killed and eight others were injured after a bus carrying 20 passengers plunged into the Alaknanda River in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district on Thursday morning, officials said.

According to officials, the bus, en route to Badrinath from Rudraprayag, collided with an oncoming vehicle at Gholthir area, lost control, and fell into a 300-meter-deep gorge before landing in the river.

Vinod Kumar Suman, Uttarakhand Secretary, Disaster Management, 'There were 20 passengers in the bus that was swept away in the river in Gholthir. We were able to save eight people. Three people died. The search for the rest is ongoing.'

He added that the passengers included a driver from Haridwar, seven people from Rajasthan, three from Madhya Pradesh, seven from Gujarat, and two from Maharashtra.

Following the incident, personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), district police, fire department, and revenue teams reached the spot. Locals also assisted in the initial rescue work.

Officials said some passengers had jumped out of the bus before it plunged into the river. They were rescued from the gorge and sent to the District Hospital Rudraprayag for first aid.

The SDRF also launched a search operation near the Srinagar Garhwal dam, approximately 40 kilometres downstream, fearing that some passengers may have been swept away due to the strong river current.

Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the incident. In a post on X, he said, 'The news of a tempo traveller falling into a river in Rudraprayag district is deeply tragic. Relief and rescue operations are being conducted on a war footing by SDRF and other rescue teams. I am in constant contact with the local administration regarding this matter. I pray to God for everyone's safety.' (ANI)