32 killed as bus falls into river in Rajasthan

At least 32 passengers of a bus were killed when their vehicle plunged into the Banas river in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan after its driver lost control on a 100-foot high bridge near Dubi village on December 23. The bus broke the railing of the bridge and fell into the river.

The passengers were mostly from the nearby towns of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, who were coming to Sawai Madhopur for visiting the famous Ramdev temple. Police said the driver of the private bus apparently lost control because of high speed and poor visibility in the early morning fog.

The bus was carrying 45 passengers. The bodies of the deceased were taken out of the waters and sent to the mortuary of the district government hospital.

Sawai Madhopur Collector Kailash Chand Verma said ambulances were called in to rush the injured persons to the hospitals, while all private medical institutions in the district were alerted for admitting the injured. The bus was brought out of the river with the help of a crane.

Most of the people, including the bus driver, died due to drowning, while the local authorities feared that the death toll could increase. Pilgrims from various towns of Rajasthan and the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh travel in large numbers to Sawai Madhpur to visit Ramdev temple on every Tuesday and Saturday.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje expressed grief over the mishap and said she had spoken to the district officers and instructed them to carry out speedy rescue operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing anguish over the accident, said the State government was closely monitoring the situation.