In a shocking tragedy, at least 33 persons were killed and around two dozen others injured when a bus carrying them fell in Banas riverearly Saturday morning in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan.
As the rescue work was in progress, some reports suggested that the bus was driven by a minor.
However, the Rajasthan Police later dismissed the reports, saying the vehicle’s conductor was physically challenged and hence could not possibly drive it, reported news agency IANS.
The bus was driven by a 40-year-old and fog is mentioned as a cause of the accident. However, a police probe is in progress.
However, eyewitnesses said that the driver was overspeeding and trying to overtake another vehicle on the narrow bridge when he lost control with the bus plunging 100 feet into the river at around 6.45 am near Dubi village.
Four children and seven women were among the 33 dead, whose bodies were sent to the district hospital mortuary.
The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital.
According to information available, passengers on the 40-seater bus hailed from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and most were on way to Ramdevra Temple in Lalsot on the Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh border.
In Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and said his thoughts were with the victims’ families.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia also condoled the deaths and ordered quick action to rescue the injured. Authorities announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each for the bereaved families and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.
A team of the State Disaster Management and Relief Department and swimmers helped in rescuing the injured and bringing out the dead from the bus, which lay on its side on the river bed.
Several locals also helped in rescue operations.
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