Atleast 7 killed, 11 injured as bus crashes in Himachal’s Chamba

At least seven passengers were killed and 11 others sustained serious injuries after a private bus skidded off a mountain road and plunged onto a lower road in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district on Saturday morning.According to agency reports,the accident occurred around 7.15 am near Chalunj Mor on the Bairagarh-Tissa road, when the driver reportedly lost control of the bus while negotiating a treacherous mountain stretch. The vehicle, which was travelling from Bairagarh towards Chamba, then fell onto another road below, police said.

Chamba, Himachal Pradesh: Seven people, including the driver and conductor, were killed and 11 others injured after a private bus travelling from Bairagarh to Chamba fell off the road near Chaluj Mor on the Tissa-Bairagarh main road on Saturday morning. The bus was carrying 18… pic.twitter.com/e6zasogEdY

— IANS (@ians_india) August 8, 2026

The crash took place on the 27-kilometre Bairagarh-Tissa mountain route in the remote Churah Valley. The road is known for its narrow stretches and steep drop-offs and serves as an important approach to the high-altitude Sach Pass.According to police, local residents were alerted by the screams of passengers following the crash and rushed to the accident site. They subsequently informed the authorities, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, Home Guards, Fire Services and the Revenue Department were involved in the rescue efforts.
According to Vijay Saklani, a senior police officer from Chamba district, that the exact number of passengers travelling on the bus was not immediately known. Police also cautioned that the death toll could rise as rescue teams continued to search the wreckage for passengers who may still be trapped or buried beneath the damaged vehicle.Of the 11 injured passengers, six who sustained serious injuries have been referred to Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College and Hospital in Chamba for further treatment. The remaining injured passengers are also receiving medical attention.
Local Pradhan Mandhi Rana said rescue operations were continuing at the accident site, with teams searching the wreckage for survivors and victims.Police have launched an investigation to establish the exact circumstances that led to the crash. Preliminary information suggests that the driver lost control of the bus near Chalunj Mor before the vehicle skidded off the road and plunged onto the lower road.
The accident comes amid a challenging monsoon season in Himachal Pradesh, where heavy rainfall has frequently disrupted road connectivity and increased the risk of landslides and road accidents across mountainous districts.According to media reports, 78 people have died in road accidents across Himachal Pradesh during the ongoing monsoon season between June 30 and August 7, highlighting the heightened risks faced by commuters on the state's vulnerable mountain roads.