A private bus carrying over 40 passengers plunged into a 500-foot gorge near Haripurdhar village in Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district, resulting in at least 14 deaths and over 30 injuries. Rescue operations were immediately launched by local residents and authorities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the deceased's families and Rs 50,000 for the injured. The cause of the accident is under investigation, with preliminary reports suggesting the bus may have been overloaded and lost control on a sharp turn.