Seven persons were killed and 11 others injured when a private bus skidded off the road and plunged around 100 feet onto another road below at Chalunj Mor near the Bairagarh area of Churah subdivision in Chamba district on Saturday morning.The deceased included both the driver and conductor of the bus, which was travelling from Bairagarh to Chamba. The accident occurred around 7.15 am on the Bairagarh-Tissa road, a treacherous 27-km mountain route in the remote Churah valley known for its narrow paths and steep drop-offs. It serves as a key stretch on the way to the high-altitude Sach Pass.According to the District Emergency Operation Centre, six of the injured have been shifted to Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College and Hospital, Chamba. The victims have been identified as Jagdev Sharma (50), Des Raj (35), conductor Tej Singh (39), Jagdei (24), Hardei (43), Neelam (34) and driver Roop Singh (35), all residents of nearby villages. The police said the driver lost control of the wheel on a sharp curve, causing the bus to veer off the road. The vehicle overturned on impact, trapping several passengers underneath the wreckage. The crash triggered panic in the area, with local residents rushing to the spot to assist the rescue teams. Videos of the bus lying upside down in the middle of the road have gone viral, showing people coming out to help.A major multi-agency rescue operation involving personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, home guards and fire services was launched immediately after the incident.Backhoe loaders were also pressed into service to lift the overturned bus and extricate passengers trapped beneath the wreckage. Chamba Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Saklani said a case had been registered and the exact cause of the accident would be established after a detailed investigation.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed condolences. “The loss of lives due to a mishap in Chamba is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones,” the PM said in a post.Sukhu directed the district administration to provide all possible assistance to the families of the deceased and ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured. Churah MLA Hans Raj also expressed grief over the loss of lives.The tragedy comes months after another deadly accident in the area in May, when eight Bengaluru tourists and a local driver were killed after their vehicle plunged into a deep gorge on the Bairagarh-Sach Pass road.So far, 78 persons have died in road accidents in the state during the ongoing monsoon season from June 30 till August 7, the police said.