Eight killed, several injured after bus falls into 15-foot ditch on Delhi-Mumbai expressway in Rajasthan
PTC News Desk: At least eight people were killed after a bus carrying devotees from Bhopal to the Khatu Shyam temple in Rajasthan overturned on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Kota district early Saturday. The bus was carrying 25 passengers, including elderly people and children.
The accident took place around 6 am near pole number 384 on the expressway. According to media reports, the bus went off the road and fell into a drain about 15 feet deep.
The exact cause of the accident is not yet known. Initial findings suggest that the driver may have lost control of the bus. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. Rescue operations began soon after the accident, with emergency teams and local residents helping to pull passengers out. However, mud and water inside the drain made the rescue work difficult. Authorities also used cranes to pull the damaged bus out of the ditch. After considerable effort, the bus was finally recovered.
Kota District Collector Piyush Samariya said 17 injured passengers were taken to New Medical College Hospital (NMCH), while eight others were taken to MBS Hospital. Seven people were declared dead on arrival at NMCH, while one person was declared dead at MBS Hospital. Samariya, along with a senior district police officer, visited the hospitals to meet the injured and assess their condition.
Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma expresses grief
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma expressed sorrow over the deaths in the accident. In a post on X, Sharma described the incident as “extremely heartbreaking” and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
“May God grant a place at His divine feet to the departed souls and bestow strength upon the bereaved families to bear this sorrow. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured,” he said.
He also said that instructions had been issued to the concerned authorities to ensure proper treatment for the injured and provide necessary assistance to those affected.
- PTC NEWS
