Bathinda:Eight people, including children, were killed and over 20 were injured in a tragic incident when a bus crashed through the railing of a bridge and plunged into a drain just a few feet below following heavy rainfall on Friday.
More than 45 passengers were onboard the bus, which was travelling from Talwandi Sabo to Bathinda when it fell into the Lasara drain in Jeewan Singhwala village. Police and district administration officials launched a rescue operation and rushed the injured passengers, including four to five children, to Bathinda Civil Hospital for medical treatment.
The accident occurred when the bus was travelling at high speed, and the driver likely lost control while attempting to avoid a collision with an oncoming trailer truck, as reported by Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray and Senior Superintendent of Police Amneet Kondal based on preliminary investigations.
Officials noted that the weather in the area was poor at the time. Locals quickly arrived at the scene to assist the passengers. Tragically, eight people, including five women, lost their lives in the incident.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed grief over the loss of lives in the bus accident and prayed for a speedy recovery of those injured. "I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people in a bus accident in Bathinda, Punjab. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and pray to God for a speedy recovery of all those injured in this accident," President Murmu said in a post in Hindi on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the passengers who lost their lives in the incident. "Saddened by the loss of lives in the bus accident in Bathinda, Punjab. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon," he said in a post on X.
The Prime Minister also announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured. The drain where the bus fell is currently filled with sewage, complicating rescue operations.
While five people were killed on the spot, three succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Over 20 people were injured in the accident, police officials said.
AAP MLA Jagroop Singh Gill, upon hearing about the accident, reached the site and expressed his sorrow. He further directed the CMO to ensure better treatment for the injured and said he would speak to the DC about providing financial assistance to the victims' families. "We pray for the swift recovery of all the injured," he added.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wrote in a post on X, saying a team of the state administration reached the spot after the accident and the injured were rushed to a hospital. "I pray to God for peace to the departed souls and a speedy recovery of the injured passengers," Mann said.
Former Punjab chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amarinder Singh, in a post on X, said, "Deeply saddened by the tragic bus accident in Bathinda, that has claimed 8 lives and injured 26. "My heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. May they find strength in this difficult time and I pray for the quick recovery of all injured," Singh added. (WithAgency inputs)
