Dehradun, Dec. 31 -- Seven people were killed, and 12 were injured after the bus they were travelling in fell into a gorge in Almora's Bhikiyasen on Tuesday morning, a police officer said. The bus belonging to Kumaon Motor Owners Union (KMOU) Limited was en route from Dwarahat to Ramnagar when it lost control near Sirkon Bend, 8 km from Bhikiyasen, on the Vinayak-Dwarahat road at around 8.23 am. Teams from the district administration, police and state disaster response force (SDRF) were rushed to the spot following the accident for relief and rescue operations. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Devendra Pincha said, "At around 08.23 am, Bhatrojkhan Police Station received information regarding a bus falling into a gorge near the Sirkon Bend within the revenue area. Upon receiving the information, SHO Bhatrojkhan Avneesh Kumar, informed senior officers and rushed to the spot with police personnel, stretchers, ropes, and other necessary rescue equipment." "It came to light when the bus was enroute from Dwarahat to Ramnagar, lost control and fell into a 50-metre-deep gorge. A total of 19 people, including the driver, were on board the bus. Under the supervision of senior police officials, a rescue operation was carried out with the assistance of local residents. The injured were rescued and shifted to the Community Health Centre, Bhikiyasen, for treatment. The deceased were recovered from the gorge, and panchayatnama proceedings were carried out," he said. Meanwhile, two critically injured persons were airlifted to AIIMS, Rishikesh, for further treatment. The deceased were identified as Govind Ballabh (80), Parvati Devi (75), Subedar Nandan Singh (65), Govindi Devi (58), Tara Devi (50), Ganesh (25), and Umesh (25), residents of Almora. According to officials, the exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. Every year, over 1,000 road accidents are reported in the state, with the treacherous, winding, and narrow roads on the mountainous terrain often exacerbating the danger. This issue is particularly acute during the monsoon and winter seasons, when poor visibility makes already challenging journeys even more hazardous. With the goal of reducing road accidents by 50% by 2030, the Uttarakhand cabinet in February approved the Road Safety Policy, 2025. The primary objective of the policy is to ensure the safety of road users, raise awareness among the public, develop safer infrastructure, enforce compliance with road safety and traffic regulations, strengthen emergency medical care for accident victims, and promote qualitative research on road safety by identifying the roles of various stakeholder departments in achieving these goals....