Kullu: Five persons, including three women, died and eight were injured as a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus rolled down a deep gorge on Aut-Luhri road near Khanag in Anni subdivision of the district on Tuesday.

Kullu: Five persons, including three women, died and eight were injured as a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus rolled down a deep gorge on Aut-Luhri road near Khanag in Anni subdivision of the district on Tuesday.

Anni DSP Baldev Thakur said three persons died on the spot and two others succumbed to their injuries at Banjar hospital. The bus was reportedly halting at a kiosk to have refreshments near Mashnu Nullah and driver was out of the bus when somebody meddled with the controls and set the bus moving. The bus was reportedly having 25 passengers but only 13 of them were inside the bus when the incident occurred.

Kullu DC Yunus Khan said the ill-fated bus was on its way from Kullu to Bagipul and the incident was captured on camera.

He said that the injured were rushed to Anni hospital and later two were shifted to Banjar hospital and four were referred to IGMC, Shimla. The villagers and school children of Khanag helped in the rescue operation.

The DC said the deceased were identified as Tek Chand of Karar village, Adarsh from Runa village and Manju of Dhambar village, all from Anni subdivision and Goyala Devi from Seri village in Banjar subdivision and Anita of Mog village of Karsog subdivision of Mandi district.

He said the injured were identified as Chandan, Minakshi, Ved Prakash, Danny, Tenzin, Dimpal, Govind and Inder Singh.

The DC said that interim relief of Rs 20,000 each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 10,000 each to the injured was distributed and the balance amount of relief according to the government relief manual would soon be released to the victims