19 killed as bus falls into Kestopur canal

Kolkata, Apr 4 (UNI) At least 19 people were killed and several injured, some of them seriously, when an overloaded private bus skidded off the busy VIP road and plunged into Kestopur canal near the city airport today.

Official sources said the accident occurred when the driver lost control over the vehicle following brake failure.

The ill-fated bus on route no 217/B was on way to Narayanpur from Babughat.

Local people and divers, who had been pressed into service, were able to recover at least 30 people.

While Apex Nursing Home registered ten bodies, Charnock and Uma Nursing Homes four each and Swasti Nursing Home one, sources added.

The injured were admitted to different nursing homes, where the condition of several was stated to be critical.

Most of the people died of severe suffocation, sources said adding the toll might go up further as conflicting reports were pouring in from several quarters.

Traffic on the busy VIP route was disrupted for some hours after the accident in the noon.

Two heavy cranes were deployed to salvage the bus, which had turned upside down.

UNI PC SJC DB1741