CHANDIGARH: Three passengers were killed and 24 others injured after a state-run Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) bus carrying passengers to Chandigarh crashed into a flyover wall on the Bathinda-Chandigarh National Highway near Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residence in Sangrur district of Punjab early Wednesday.
The bus was travelling from Dhuri in Sangrur to Chandigarh as the accident took place around 4:30 A.M. Of the 24 injured, 15 were referred to Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala.
Eyewitnesses say, the bus rammed into a pole supporting the flyover before hitting a tree as it skidded off the road. Locals joined the police and district administration in the rescue operation.
The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals by ambulance for treatment. The police said that the bus hit a wall of the flyover, causing severe damage and leaving several passengers trapped inside.
The doctors at the Civil Hospital said 21 injured passengers were initially brought to the health facility after the accident and 15 were referred to Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala.
The remaining injured passengers are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Sangrur as scans and other diagnostic tests were being conducted to monitor their condition. Meanwhile the bodies of the deceased have been sent for postmortem examination.
Preliminary investigation by the police and statements from passengers indicate that the bus was travelling at a high speed before the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle.
Police have registered a case against the bus driver on the statement of Vinay Kumar, a passenger who was travelling to Chandigarh for coaching.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and directed authorities to ensure proper treatment for those injured.