Bhopal: Four people, including the driver, were killed and 11 others injured when a speeding sleeper bus travelling from Kanpur to Indore crashed into the wall of a bridge in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district on Friday morning, police said.
The accident occurred around 8.30 a.m. on the Bhopal bypass bridge in Biaora when the bus lost control while negotiating a curve and rammed into the bridge wall, Rajgarh Superintendent of Police (SP), Amit Tolani said.
“The prima facie reason appears to be speeding. The bus lost control at the curve and collided with the bridge wall. The exact circumstances are being investigated,” Tolani said.
The impact shattered the windows of the upper-deck sleeper section, causing some passengers to fall from the bridge while others landed on the bridge structure, police official said.
The bus was severely damaged in the crash. Local residents and police personnel helped rescue passengers trapped inside the vehicle.
All the injured were initially taken to the Civil Hospital in Biaora, where they were provided medical treatment. Four of the injured are in critical condition and have been referred to Bhopal for further treatment, Tolani said.
“The critically injured passengers have been referred to Bhopal. We are also in the process of identifying the deceased,” police officer added.
According to police, the deceased included a Station House Officer (SHO) and a cyber inspector from Bengaluru. Their identities were being ascertained.
Following the accident, police and administrative teams reached the spot and launched rescue operations. The scene was marked by panic and screams as passengers were pulled out of the mangled bus.
Minister of State Narayan Singh Panwar and S.P. Tolani later visited the Civil Hospital in Biaora and met the injured passengers.
They also spoke to doctors about their condition and the treatment being provided. Police have started an investigation into the accident, including the circumstances leading to the bus losing control on the bridge.
(IANS)
