At Least 38 Killed In Bus Accident In Central India - Reports

At Least 38 Killed in Bus Accident in Central India - Reports

At least 38 people were killed as a bus fell into a canal in Sidhi district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh after the driver lost control of the vehicle, News 18 reported on Tuesday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2021) At least 38 people were killed as a bus fell into a canal in Sidhi district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh after the driver lost control of the vehicle, news 18 reported on Tuesday.

The accident occurred at 07:30 a.m. local time (02:00 GMT) in Rampur Naikin area. The bus, carrying 54 people, was traveling from Sidhi district to Satna, but the driver changed the original route to avoid a traffic jam. As he lost control of the vehicle, it fell into the canal. The rescue services arrived soon after and extracted the bus from the water with a crane. Seven people, including the driver, were saved by the State Disaster Response Fund team.

"What has happened is extremely tragic. Rescue work is already on. Two ministers are on their way to the site. Families of those who have died will be given a compensation of �� 5 lakh [$6,874]. The entire state is standing with those affected," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated in a video message.

However, the number of casualties is still expected to rise as the vehicle was severely overcrowded, the police told News 18. To help with the rescue operation, the water from the nearby Bansagar dam was stopped.