Shimla: Passengers travelling in a Himachal Road Transport Corp (HRTC) bus had a narrow escape on early Friday as boulders started breaking from the mountain and fell on it, injuring five of them.
The bus was going from Reckong Peo to Shimla, the state capital, on Thursday night. The incident happened in the Nichar tehsil of the Kinnaur district, close to the Urni village.
Official sources said a few passengers were aboard at the time of disaster. The bus almost went off the road and into a gorge, but the driver was on the ball and managed to skid off the road.
Kinnaur, one of the state's most remote places, has been hit hard by flash floods and landslides this monsoon season.
Locals have been questioning the rationale for operating the night bus service owing to the natural calamities.
The day before, a cloudburst in Kinnaur's Sangla caused a flash flood. Several vehicles and apple orchards were washed away. However, no lives were lost.
Due to heavy rain triggering landslides and roadblocks, Deputy Commissioner Torul Raveesh urged residents to postpone any needless travel across the state.
Warnings of heavy rain have been issued for the state till July 25 by the local Meteorological (MeT) office.—Inputs from Agencies