1 Killed, 55 Injured As Bus Carrying Pilgrims Overturns In Madhya Pradesh

A woman was killed, and 55 others sustained injuries after a bus carrying pilgrims for 'Narmada Parikrama' overturned in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district on Friday morning, police said.

The bus carrying 56 passengers from Indore and Dhar districts overturned near Baigur village, about 80 km from the district headquarters, around 8 am, an official said.

"The vehicle overturned, started skidding and hit a divider before coming to a screeching halt. There was a deep gorge near the scene, and the accident could have been much worse if the bus had fallen into it," Barwani Superintendent of Police Jagdish Dawar told PTI.

The bus transporting pilgrims for 'Narmada Parikrama' left Indore on October 29 and reached Barwani, where the devotees spent a day and left for their onwards journey on Friday morning, he said.

A woman was killed, and among the injured, 15 were referred to Barwani District Hospital for treatment, while the rest were undergoing treatment at the Khetia Primary Health Centre, the official said.

After the accident, locals, the State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF), and the police worked together to rescue passengers, and police from the Khetia, Pansemal, and Pati police station areas were also mobilised.

Two passengers trapped inside the vehicle were rescued after an effort of two to three hours.

Dawar said a preliminary investigation suggested that the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn.

Pansemal BJP MLA Shyam Burde, who also reached the site, said he had informed Chief Minister Mohan Yadav about the tragic accident and discussed relief assistance.

"Local sarpanches and BJP workers helped rescue the injured and transport them to hospitals," he said.

'Narmada Parikrama' is the circumambulation of the sacred River Narmada.  

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