Gujarat: 21 Dead, Several injured As Bus Turns Over In Banaskantha
GANDHINAGAR : Thirty-nine people were killed and 24 injured when a Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) bus fell off a river bridge in South Gujarat’s Navsari district on Friday evening, police officials said.
Expressing her condolences over those killed in the accident, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel announced compensation of Rs.4 lakh each to their families. “The private luxury bus, carrying around 70 passengers, overturned at Trishulia Ghat,” senior police officer Ajit Rajian said.
“Twenty-one of them died. The bus slipped on the wet road when the driver applied brakes. We pulled out 53 people alive from the bus using a crane,” Mr Rajian said.In visuals, two bulldozers are seen trying to clear the bus from the road at Trishulia Ghat, a hilly patch on the Ambaji-Danta highway, 160 km from Ahmedabad.
The accident took place near Trsihuliya Ghat in Ambaji, as the bus expected to be carrying 50 passengers turned over. Police and rescue teams have reached the site and rescue operations have been launched at the spot on a war footing.
“The private luxury bus, carrying around 70 passengers, overturned at Trishulia Ghat,” senior police officer Ajit Rajian said. “Twenty-one of them died. The bus slipped on the wet road when the driver applied brakes. We pulled out 53 people alive from the bus using a crane,” Mr Rajian said.
In visuals, two bulldozers are seen trying to clear the bus from the road at Trishulia Ghat, a hilly patch on the Ambaji-Danta highway, 160 km from Ahmedabad.
According to an official communique, the chief minister has said the state government would bear the complete expenditure for the medical treatment of the injured people. Navsari Superintendent of Police M.S. Barada said the bus carrying around 60 passengers was on its way to Unai town from Navsari city when the accident occurred in the evening.
The bus was packed to capacity when it started around 6 p.m. Also Read – BrahMos with indigenous parts successfully test-fired . Barada earlier told media persons that rescue operations were on in full swing.
“We have recovered 20 bodies so far. At least 15 people, including the driver and the conductor of the bus, were trapped inside the overturned bus when last reports trickled in.” The officer said looking at the damaged bus, the chances of survival of those still inside the wreckage were dim. The accident occurred on a bridge over Purna river near Supa village on Bardoli road under Navsari rural police station area, he said.
The driver of the bus, carrying people home after visiting a temple, lost control on a slippery road in the hilly region due to heavy rain, rescuers who are at the site said. Several people were killed when a bus toppled over in Gujarat”s northern Banaskantha district on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “extremely pained” to hear about the accident.
The injured people were taken to hospitals in Danta and Palanpur, the police officer said. District Collector Sandip Sagale is at the accident site. Mr Sagale said 35 of the injured people are in a critical condition.
“We have deployed more doctors at both the hospitals to treat the injured and carry out post-mortem. All the passengers were residents of the same village and were returning from Ambaji temple,” said Mr Sagale.
“Devastating news from Banaskantha. I am extremely pained by the loss of lives due to an accident. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families.”The local administration is providing all possible help to the injured. May they recover soon,” the Prime Minister said in a tweet.
According to reports, a bus carrying 40-50 people returning from a temple visit toppled over, leading to multiple fatalities. Rescue operations have been launched at the spot on a war footing.
Reacting to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was extremely pained by the loss of lives. “Devastating news from Banaskantha. I’m extremely pained by the loss of lives due to an accident. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. The local administration is providing all possible help to the injured. May they recover soon,” he tweeted.
(With inputs from Agency).
