Jaipur: Three people were killed while over 40 people were injured when a luxury bus overturned and fell into a 40-foot deep ditch along the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s on Monday.
The incident happened near Zero Point in Para police station area, about 30 km away from the district headquarters. The bus was carrying people returning home to celebrate the Chhath festival.
The fire department said that the bus with registration from Bihar was travelling between Bhiwadi in Rajasthan to Chhapra in Bihar. There were approximately 50-55 people aboard.
There were over 50 police personnel, two teams from State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and fire department personnel involved in the rescue efforts.
Initial investigations suggest that there may have been a flat tyre causing loss of control. However, a full investigation is still being carried out to determine the cause.
Three Passengers Killed, Several Seriously Injured
Two of the victims have been identified as Shankar Rajjak aged 63 and Shamli Rai aged 43, both from Chhapra in Bihar. The third victim is a male passenger who has not been identified.
Over 40 people were injured, some seriously.
Some passengers said that the driver was drunk. Pankaj Sharma said “The driver was drunk. We had just started our journey and within 10 minutes the bus flipped.”
Another injured passenger, Vikas Kumar, stated that the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol. He was admitted to Lokbandhu Hospital. He added that he and his parents were injured in the incident. This has not been confirmed.
“Two drivers were on the bus. The driver was driving all night and fell asleep at about 7am. The other driver took over as he had been sleeping. Within 10 minutes of the driver changing the accident happened,” passenger Jitendra Yadav said.
32 Passengers Admitted to Lokbandhu Hospital
“We received news of the accident at about 7am,” said Dr Amitabh Srivastava, Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) Lokbandhu Hospital.
A total of 32 passengers arrived at the hospital, however two were pronounced dead on arrival. Five patients with serious head and spinal injuries were transferred to King George’s Medical University (KGMU).
Other injured passengers are currently receiving treatment at Lokbandhu Hospital. 25 patients were reportedly admitted. Dr Srivastava is personally overseeing the treatment of the injured.
Bus Documents Valid
Vehicle documents show that the bus had a valid fitness certificate up until August 5 2027. The insurance was valid up until July 31 2027.
The pollution certificate was valid up until August 6 2027 and the vehicle permit up until December 2 2030.
Further investigations are continuing.