Five passengers had a miraculous escape after a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus overturned following a suspected brake failure on the Ladbharol-Gangoti route, about 15 km from Baijnath, on Wednesday evening.

According to reports, the bus was returning from Gangoti to Ladbharol when the driver noticed the brakes had failed at around 4 pm. Acting swiftly, he steered the bus into a roadside retaining wall to prevent it from plunging into a deep gorge. The impact caused the bus to overturn on its side.

The driver's presence of mind averted a major tragedy. The bus was carrying only five passengers, including a woman, two young girls and two other women. All escaped with minor or no injuries.

Local residents rushed to the spot immediately after the accident and helped rescue the passengers safely from the overturned vehicle.

HRTC Divisional Manager, Dharamsala, Pankaj Chadha said a detailed inquiry had been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the mishap and determine whether it was triggered by a mechanical fault, including brake failure.