ST bus accident toll at 8

Bharuch, Dec 21 (UNI) The toll in the last night's accident, which had killed seven people on the spot and seriously injured 30 others on the Bharuch-Ankleshwar highway here, rose to eight with the death of another woman in the hospital.

Eight people, including two women, were killed and scores seriously injured when the state transport bus, on way to Unja from Surat, skidded off into a 90-feet gorge at Mandava Patia near Hotel Sahyog on the highway yesterday.

The woman succumbed to her injuries at the Jayaben Modi Hospital at Ankleshwar last night.

As many as 29 seriously injured people were being treated at the Jayaben Modi Hospital and other private hospitals at Ankleshwar and Bharuch, sources said.

The body of a conductor had been identified so far from among the seven bodies recovered and ''it is believed he might have tried to escape as the bus was hanging on the railing for a few minutes before it fell into the gorge.

Ten to 12 people had managed to escape from the emergency exit door at the time of the incident.

UNI XR/VNB PM HS DS1535