28 Students Injured After School Bus Plunges From Bridge In Madhya Pradesh

A school picnic turned into a terrifying ordeal on Sunday morning when a bus carrying students and staff from Higher Secondary School, Bahadurpur, fell from a 12-foot-high bridge over the Sagad River in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district. At least 28 children were injured in the accident, with the condition of four to five students reported to be serious.

The bus was carrying approximately 45 students on a picnic trip to Sanchi. The students had left the school premises at about 8:00 AM, and the accident occurred at approximately 10:30 AM in the Nateran police station area, nearly 80 kilometers from Bahadurpur.

Eyewitness accounts and a preliminary investigation suggest that the Johad bridge is narrow. While giving way to an oncoming vehicle, the driver reportedly steered the bus towards the edge of the bridge. The vehicle lost balance, went out of control, and plunged straight into the dry riverbed below.

Moments after the crash, screams of frightened children echoed through the area. Local villagers rushed to the spot and immediately alerted the authorities. Police teams and administrative officials reached the scene promptly and launched a rescue operation. Children were pulled out of the damaged bus and rushed to nearby hospitals.

Several students suffered injuries and fractures to their hands and legs. Four to five children who sustained serious injuries were immediately referred to Vidisha Medical College for advanced treatment. Other injured students were taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Ganj Basoda, where doctors kept them under observation.

Confirming the incident, MLA Mukesh Tandon said that nine injured children were referred from Ganj Basoda to Vidisha Medical College, while the condition of the remaining students is stable. He added that all the children were from Ashoknagar district and were on an educational visit. "Fortunately, there has been no loss of life in this accident," he said.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Kshitij Sharma stated that the bus was carrying around 40 to 42 children at the time of the accident. "Four to five children sustained serious injuries and have been referred to the medical college. The others received first aid and have been sent back to their district," he said.

After medical examination and treatment throughout the day, around 35 children were later sent back safely to their home district of Ashoknagar. Officials from the education department and district administration were present to oversee the medical care and transportation of the students.