Bus Falls off a Bridge in Chhattisgarh, 17 Killed, 53 Injured

The driver spotted a motorcycle at a sharp turn, and in an effort to avoid him lost control over the steering.

At least 17 people were killed and 53 others injured when a bus fell off a small bridge into a dry rivulet in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district on Wednesday night, police said.

The private luxury bus was on its way to the state capital Raipur from Gadhwa of the neighbouring Jharkhand state when the accident took place at Daldhowa ghat around 10:30 pm, about 400 km from Raipur.

Around 5 km away from Balrampur district headquarter, the bus driver suddenly spotted a motorcycle at a sharp curve at Daldhowa and while trying to save him, lost control over the steering following which the vehicle skidded into the dry rivulet and overturned two-three times, Balrampur Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar said.

So far there are reports of 13 deaths while 16 critically injured were shifted to Ambikapur district hospital. Besides, the 37 injured have been admitted to the local hospital at Balrampur.

Sadanand Kumar, Superintendent of Police

The identity of the victims, all of them male, was being ascertained, he added.

Soon after getting news of the incident, a police team rushed to the spot and began rescue work, he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raman Singh has expressed grief over the incident. The CM has directed the district administration to provide best medical care to the injured and prayed for their speedy recovery, an official spokesperson said.