In a heart-rending scene of mass cremation of Nurpur school bus accident victims, which has claimed lives of 27 people, including 23 school children, the grief-stricken families of the deceased along with hundreds of residents gathered at the funeral grounds to pay last respects to the deceased children.
The last rites of the victims were performed in the presence of the district authorities.
The Khuada village of Nurpur area witnessed the highest number of deaths of 18 children, including four children from a single family. The cremation ground of Khuada witnessed 13 funerals of deceased children one after one.
All the deceased were mostly of the age ranging from 5 to 12 years.
“All the 23 bodies of school children have been cremated today. The whole administration was busy with the cremation proceedings. The cause of the accident is still to be ascertained,” said Nurpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Abid Hussain Sadiq.
“We will visit the each and every family tomorrow to pay them their claims as having been announced by the authorities,” added the SDM.
The 32 seater school bus carrying students of Wazir Ram Singh Pathania Memorial had plunged into a deep gorge on Monday evening.
Two female teachers, driver of the bus and a woman hailed from Sihunta, Chamba district were also among the deceased.