A routine mountain journey turned fatal on Thursday morning when a 31-seater bus carrying pilgrims from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra veered off the road and plunged into the swollen Alakananda river in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district. Police officials said, three people lost their lives, nine others are still missing and eight were rescued in a race-against-time operation involving police and disaster response teams.
Earlier estimates had one person confirmed dead and several missing, but as the day progressed, the authorities revised the toll. The incident occurred as the bus was navigating an uphill stretch of road when, according to preliminary reports, the driver lost control of the vehicle, sending it hurtling down the steep slope into the fast-flowing river below.
Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said three bodies have been recovered so far. One body was recovered near the accident, other from the river near Rudraprayag, Satyendra Singh Bhandari, a member of the Red Cross Society rescue team, said. The deceased have been identified as Vishal Soni (42) of Madhya Pradesh, Drimmy (17) of Gujarat and Gauri Soni (41) of Madhya Pradesh, he said.
Visuals from the site showed scenes of chaos and heroism: villagers and emergency responders formed human chains, pulling the injured up treacherous terrain while grappling with loose soil and the roar of the river below.
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Senior police, administrative, and SDRF officers are at the site, closely overseeing the operation, with personnel using ropes and rafts to scour the river stretch. Drones were also deployed to track signs of movement in the swirling waters. The injured driver of the vehicle, who hails from Kankhal in Haridwar, claimed the bus fell into the river after being hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction.
"I was driving at a speed of hardly around 10-20 kmph. We were going comfortably listening to bhajans when a truck hit the bus hard and it plunged into the gorge," the bus driver named Sumit said. He is among the four injured airlifted to AIIMS, Rishikesh.
Eight individuals, including four women and two children, were hurt in the accident while nine others went missing, the SP office said. He further said the injured were rushed to the district hospital from where some of them were airlifted to AIIMS, Rishikesh in a helicopter.
The police confirmed there were 20 people, including the driver, on board the vehicle when it fell into the river. The missing people are Ravi Bhavasar (28) from Udaipur, Mauli Soni (19) from Gujarat, Lalit Kumar Soni (48) from Rajasthan, Sanjay Soni (55) from Udaipur, Mayuri (24) from Surat, Chetna Soni (52) from Udaipur, Cheshta (12) from Gujarat, Katta Ranjana Ashok (54) from Maharashtra and Sushila Soni (77) from Udaipur.
The injured have been identified as Deepika Soni (42) from Sirohi Meena in Rajasthan, Hemlata Soni (45) from Gogunda, Rajasthan, Ishwar Soni (46) from Gujarat, Amita Soni (49) from Maharashtra, Soni Bhavna Ishwar (43) from Gujarat, Bhavya Soni (7) from Gujarat, Parth Soni (10) from Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh and the driver named Sumit Kumar (23) from Haridwar, police said.
A press note from the district administration advised residents and pilgrims in the Char Dham area to avoid speculation and refrain from spreading rumours, especially amid the ongoing monsoon that has left several roads vulnerable to landslips and sudden flooding. This latest tragedy has once again underlined the dangers of travel on Uttarakhand’s mountainous routes, particularly during the rainy season when slippery roads, fog, and falling rocks create deadly conditions.
Officials have not ruled out mechanical failure but are awaiting a formal inquiry. The identity of the deceased and the rescued passengers is being confirmed by authorities.
Earlier, in a statement issued shortly after the incident, the police confirmed that seven passengers had been pulled from the river alive and had been transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. "One of the passengers was found dead," an officer said, as teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local administration continued their search along the riverbanks.
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