Uttarkashi/Pithoragarh: Seventeen people died and 16 others were left injured in two separate road accidents in the state on Sunday. In the first instance, 14 people died and 14 were injured after a bus they were travelling in plunged into a 200m deep gorge near Damta area on Yamunotri highway in Uttarkashi district on Sunday afternoon. The driver, who survived the accident, has alleged that he lost control of the vehicle after the wobbly steering wheel broke and came off in his hands. Six of the critically injured people were airlifted to Himalayan Hospital Jolly Grant and AIIMS Rishikesh. The death toll is expected to rise further with some of the 28 passengers onboard the vehicle feared drowned in the Yamuna as the bus landed metres from the river, said district magistrate Ashish Chauhan, adding that rescue operations will continue for some time.The bus run by private operators, carrying local residents, was on its way to Vikas Nagar in Dehradun from Jankichatti in the district when the mishap occured.State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, medical and district administration teams soon rushed to the spot and started relief and rescue operations.Meanwhile, in Pithoragarh district, three people died and two were injured after their car fell into a deep gorge on Pithoragarh Ghat Road. The five residents of Pithoragarh were travelling to attend a marriage in Gogina village when they met with the accident.Shekhar Suyal, circle officer, Pithoragarh, said that the deceased were identified as Pankaj Joshi (27), Kailash Bhatt (30) and Brijendra Singh (29). Joshi was working in the Middle East and had come home for Diwali.(With inputs from Prem Punetha)

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