Uttarakhand Accident: One Dead, 11 Missing After Bus Falls Into Alaknanda River on Badrinath Highway

One person died and several others were injured after an 18-seater passenger bus plunged into the Alaknanda River near Gholtir in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district early on Thursday. The passengers were travelling from Udaipur in Rajasthan to the Badrinath temple.

The accident took place on the Badrinath National Highway. There were 18 people on the bus. While one passenger died, seven sustained injuries and 11 are reportedly missing. Two nine-year-old children were reportedly among the 18 passengers.

According to the police, the bus plunged into the river as the driver lost control while going uphill.

Expressing grief over the incident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami shared on X (formerly Twitter) that he is in constant touch with local authorities. He assured that the SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) and other rescue teams are carrying out relief and rescue operations on a war footing.

It has been learned that police forces and SDRF teams from Augustmuni, Ratura and Gochar police stations have reached the scene. A search and rescue operation is currently underway.

Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand: A bus with 15–18 passengers heading from Rishikesh to Badrinath fell into the Alaknanda River near Gholtir, Rudraprayag. Police, NDRF, SDRF, and locals are conducting rescue operations. Six injured have been hospitalized and one fatality is confirmed,… pic.twitter.com/xXFKdDjTbE

— IANS (@ians_india) June 26, 2025