Bus plunges into river; 15 killed, 55 injured

Sidhi, MP, Sep 29 (UNI) At least 15 people, including two children and two women, were killed and 55 injured when a private bus drove over the side of a bridge and plunged into the Kachni river near Baithan in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh today.

The bus was heading from Baithan to Madha when a tyre burst and the vehicle overturned. The accident site is about 100 Km from here.

Additional Superintendent of Police B S Chouhan said 14 people died on the spot in the accident that occurred at around 1230 hrs, while one person succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment in hospital.

Seriously injured patients were sent to Varanasi for treatment, while other injured were admitted to the Northern Coalfield Limited Hospital and NTPC Hospital.

District Collector Sukhbeer Singh said family members of the deceased were being given Rs 5,000 ex-gratia, while Rs 2,000 ex-gratia would be paid to the injured, who would also be provided free treatment.

The partially-submerged bus was lifted with the help of cranes.

Most of the deceased belonged to Sidhi district.

Police sources said the District Collector and other senior officials, who were holding a meeting near the area, reached the spot immediately and relief operations started soon after.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan condoled the deaths and directed to provide every possible assistance to the family members of the deceased and for treatment of the injured.

The deceased were identified as Gomti Tiwari (42), Gulbasia (40), Deepa Jaiswal (6), Nirmala (3 months), Nandkishore (42), Upendra (25), Abhishek, Jai Sunika (60), Sanjay Kumar (19), Jawaharlal Gupta (54), Chhotelal (65), Mahendra Gupta (28), Munna Tiwari (22), Sudama (28) and Mathura Prasad Sahu.

UNI XC-PS PK KP2123