BHOPAL: At least 15 people, including vehicle riders and pedestrians, were injured after being knocked down by an out-of-control bus near a Durga Puja pandal in Sihora town of Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district on Tuesday night.
The incident occurred around 10 pm when an empty private bus, travelling from Katni to Jabalpur, sped into a crowded area near the pandal. The bus, driven by an allegedly intoxicated driver, Pradip Mishra, struck a motorcyclist, an ice cream vendor, and numerous pedestrians approximately 45 km from the Jabalpur district headquarters.
Despite being flagged down at two separate traffic checkpoints, the bus failed to stop. Among the injured was a traffic police officer who was hurt while attempting to intercept the vehicle.
Of the 15 injured, eight were discharged after receiving primary treatment at local facilities in Sihora. The remaining seven were referred to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur, where two individuals, including a woman, remain in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Both are being closely monitored by neurologists and surgeons due to head injuries.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Jabalpur), Suryakant Sharma, who was at the scene, reported that angry local residents assaulted the driver in retaliation, leaving him injured as well. He is also receiving treatment at the medical college.
The driver has been booked under Section 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for attempting to commit culpable homicide.
Police sources noted a trend among local bus drivers of parking their vehicles near their homes between trips, rather than at the designated bus stand. In this instance, the practice appeared to contribute to the incident, with the intoxicated driver losing control and ploughing into the crowd.