Himachal Bus Accident: 75 Passengers Found Aboard Overloaded 39-Seater, Govt Orders Probe
District officials confirm severe overloading in the Shimla–Kupvi bus that skidded on ice near Haripur Dhar, leaving 14 dead and 61 injured.
Published : January 10, 2026 at 3:47 PM IST
Sirmaur: A major update has emerged regarding the bus accident that occurred near Haripur Dhar in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh on Friday. The Sirmaur district administration released a list of the deceased and injured on Saturday, according to which 75 people were on board the bus, not 66 as initially reported. This means the 39-seater bus was completely overloaded at the time of the accident. The cause of the accident is currently believed to be the bus skidding on ice on the road.
The district administration has ordered an inquiry into the accident, and the actual causes will be revealed only after the investigation. On Saturday, State Congress President and local MLA Vinay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sirmaur, Priyanka Verma, and Superintendent of Police NS Negi visited the accident site.
The DC stated, "There were 75 people on board the bus, of whom 14 died, and 61 were injured." SP Sirmaur NS Negi acknowledged that the bus was carrying more passengers than its capacity at the time of the accident, and stated that the causes of the accident are being investigated.
Documents In Place
RTO Sirmaur, Sona Chandel, informed, "The permit for the 2008 model bus named Jeet Coach (HP 64 6667) was valid until July 8, 2029. The bus's fitness certificate was also up-to-date and valid until February 14, 2026. The bus's insurance is valid until February 12, 2026. The bus's route was from Shimla to Kupvi via Solan, Rajgarh, Nohradhar, and Haripur Dhar. According to the RTO, the bus had a seating capacity of 39, including the driver and conductor."
Minister Orders Probe
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who also holds the transport portfolio, said an inquiry has been ordered into the tragic road accident that led to 14 deaths and injuries to a large number of people.
"The administration has acted promptly in the entire matter, and the injured are undergoing treatment in different hospitals," he said.
Background
The accident occurred on Friday afternoon, when the bus veered off the road on its way to Kupvi from Shimla, and fell into a 500-foot deep gorge.
There were about 75 people in the overloaded bus. A large number of passengers were en route to their native villages to celebrate Boda Tyohar - the biggest annual festival of the three lakh Hati tribes of Sirmaur district, which commenced on Friday.
The injured are undergoing treatment in several hospitals, including Rajgarh Government Hospital, Nahan Medical College, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, while those with serious injuries have been referred to PGI Chandigarh, officials said.
