Bathinda: Eight people died and many were injured on Friday, December 27, when a private bus crashed through the railing of a bridge here and plunged into a drain a few feet below, police said.
The bus had over 45 passengers and it fell into Lasara drain at Jeewan Singhwala village, officials said.
The accident occurred when the bus was en route to Bathinda from Talwandi Sabo. Locals rushed to the spot immediately to help the passengers, they said, adding that eight people lost their lives.
Police and district administration also launched a rescue operation and took the injured to a hospital. A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also reached the spot to provide assistance, they added.
Expressing condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X “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 also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
According to officials, the weather was inclement in the area however the exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.
Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray, who reached the spot to supervise the rescue operation, said medical teams and ambulances were rushed to the spot.
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