Chamba, Feb 21 (UNI) Six persons were killed and 12 others injured after a private bus fell into Chamera Dam in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, official sources said here.

The driver and conductor of the bus were among those killed, Deputy Commissioner Pushpinder Rajput, who is overseeing the rescue operations, told UNI.

The DC has ordered a Magisterial inquiry into the accident, the cause of which was so far not clear. The probe will be headed by SDM Tissa, Rajiv Kumar, he said.

So far, six bodies were recovered and 12 injured passengers have been rescued by the relief and rescue teams. The bus was still lying in the dam waters, Mr Rajput said.

The injured have been admitted in the Primary Health Centre at Barangal, said the Chamba DSP (HQ), Arvind Chaudary, who is also at the accident site.

The ill-fated private bus was on its way from Chamba to Barangal. The exact number of people on board could not be ascertained but it was believed that there were about 20 people in the bus, he said.

The rescue team of Chamera Dam, with motorboats and divers, was pressed into service immediately after the accident. The locals had also rushed to help out the accident victims, he said.

UNI