Five persons were killed and 35 others injured when a private bus carrying pilgrims ꩵhailing from Madhya Pradesh fell into a deep gorge in Gujarat's Dang district early Sunday mo🌺rning, police said.
Among the injured persons, 17 were grievously hurt, they said, adding the victims were ♔on a trip to religious places across various states in the country.
🌠 The accident took place at 4.15 am when the bus driver lost cont🍎rol over the wheels near the Saputara hill station, in-charge Superintendent of Police SG Patil said.
The bus, carrying 48 pilgrims, broke the crash barrier and fell at a꧑ depth of about 35꧑ feet into the gorge, he said.
The passengers started at night for Dwarka in Gujarat from Trimbakeshwar, a religious place in Maharashtra'🌜s Nashik district.
They m🌊ade a brief stop at S♉aputara for tea break before resuming their journey when the accident occurred 2.5 kilometres from the hill station, the official said.
"Five persons died on the spot and 17 others suffered serious injuries and have been rushed to a civil hospital at Ahwa. Some others have sustained minor🧸 injuries. The rescue operation is nearly over," the official said.
The bus driv🤡e🅺r was among the deceased, comprising three men and two women, according to police.
A total of 35 passengers were taken to the nearby community health centres (CHCs) for treatment, and 17 of them were referred to the civil hospital at Ahwa in the꧅ district, Patil said.
The pilgrims, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, had set out on four differܫent buses on Decembe💝r 23, 2024 on a trip to religious places across various states, he said.
Dang Collector Mahesh Patel said the unfortuna🧸te 🌜incident occurred after one of the four buses carrying the pilgrims fell into the gorge.
"As per the passengers, they had tea and breakfast at Saputara before resuming their journey. It is likely that the driver lost control of the vehicle due to brake failure. Medical ℱstaff are working diligently to treat the injured persons," he said.
A team of locals and police personnel conducted the rescue operation. They broug🧸ht out th♈e passengers from the bus and rushed them to the CHCs for treatment.
Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior Zone Inspector General of Police Arvind Saxena told PTI that the bus was 52-seater. It had 48 persons on board, hence was not overcrowded, he sai🍨d.
These people set off on the pilgrimage in December and were visiting different holy places in the cou𒈔ntry, he said.
According to the initial information gathered by MP police, the deceased have been identified a🍨s bus driver Ratan Lal Jatav, hailing from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, two other men Bolaram Kushwaha, Pappu Yadav and twꦫo women Guddi Bai and Kamlesh Bai Yadav, from Shivpuri district in MP, the official said.
