CHANDIGARH: Eight people were killed and 26 others injured after a private bus, carrying 44 passengers, fell into the Lasara drain near Jiwan Singh Wala village on the Bathinda-Talwandi Sabo road in Bathinda district.
The bus, operated by New Guru Kashi Transport Company, was travelling from Sardulgarh in Mansa district to Bathinda and was just 13 kilometers from its destination when the accident occurred. Locals quickly reached the scene to help passengers and evacuated the injured. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) later joined the rescue operation. The bus was pulled out of the drain using a crane.
Eyewitnesses stated that the bus crashed through a bridge railing before plunging into the drain. The rainy weather hindered rescue operations. Rescued passengers reported that the bus was traveling at high speed when it collided with a speeding truck coming from the opposite direction, causing the driver to lose control.
Sources confirmed that rain was falling in Bathinda at the time of the accident. The cause of the mishap is under investigation, with passengers stating that both the bus and the truck were speeding, leading to the crash. Police and local authorities quickly launched a rescue operation, and the injured were transported to nearby hospitals.
Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray said that villagers quickly responded to the accident, helping to save lives. He confirmed that eight people had died, with five identified and three still unaccounted for. Five individuals succumbed to their injuries at Talwandi Hospital, while three others were declared dead at the Civil Hospital in Bathinda. Parray added that the bus was traveling at high speed when the driver lost control.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. The Prime Minister’s Office shared the news on X, stating: "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. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000."