A girl fell into a ditch after a road caved in in Shimla, and the wheel of an HRTC bus also got stuck.:

News Topical, Digital Desk : A major accident was averted in Bhattakufar, Shimla, on Saturday morning. The road at Bhattakufar Chowk suddenly caved in, creating a large pothole. At that very moment, an eighth-grade girl boarding an HRTC bus fell directly into the pothole. People immediately pulled her out with a rope. Fortunately, she was not seriously injured. Locals are attributing this incident to the negligence of the NHAI.

According to eyewitnesses, while boarding a bus for school this morning, the girl's foot suddenly slipped into a caved-in road. The road caved in so much that a portion of the bus's tire even got stuck in the pothole. People on the scene immediately began rescue operations and pulled the girl to safety.

NHAI tunnelling weakens the road

Locals were enraged after the incident and blamed the NHAI's tunneling project. They said the tunneling, which had been ongoing for several months, had been weakening the market and roads. Water seepage and vibrations caused the old road layer to settle, leading to the accident.

People say that they have warned the authorities several times, but no steps have been taken to improve the situation.

Strict action should be taken against NHAI – Councilor

Bhattakufer councilor Narendra Thakur also blamed the NHAI for the accident. He alleged that the road caved in due to tunneling and that action should be taken against the officials involved. The councilor also claimed that NHAI officials mistreat local residents and do not take complaints seriously.

He also reminded that earlier also a woman's house had collapsed due to NHAI work in Bhattakufar and it was promised to give compensation of Rs 5 crore, which has not been given till date.

Locals are now deeply concerned about the safety of the area. They say that the area is home to a large population, and the damage to roads and infrastructure over the months has raised the possibility of more major accidents in the future. They want the government and district administration to investigate and take immediate action to prevent such incidents from happening again.