ISHWAR GARG/NARESH GOYAL
Bathinda : Eight passengers were killed and several injured when a private bus met with an accident over a bridge and plunged a few feet down below into a 'nullah' on Friday, police said.
The accident occurred when the bus was on its way from Talwandi Sabo to Bathinda. Locals rushed to the spot immediately to help the people get out of the bus, the officials said.
Police and district administration also launched a rescue operation and took the injured to a hospital, they added. The weather was inclement in the area, the officials said.
Five died on the spot while three succumbed to serious injuries during treatment. Nearly 18 are being treated at the Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Civil Hospital.
The accident occurred near Jiwan Singh Wala village in Bathinda when a bus fell into a drain after crashing a bridge. A rescue operation is underway with the help of NDRF, police and locals.
The private bus was on the way from Talwandi Sabo to Bathinda city when it skidded and fell into a drain. Top civil and police officials are on the spot to supervise rescue operations.
As per information gathered, the ill-fated bus had left Talwandi Sabo at 01.13 pm for Bathinda. However, while crossing the bridge of a gutter drain, it skidded into the drain.
Among the eight deceased passengers, five of them have been identified and nine critically injured have also been identified. The five deceased passengers include- Ravneet Kaur(17) daughter of Harjit Singh of village Jand Wala Meera Sandla(Fazilka), Amandeep Kaur(30) and her two year daughter Puneet Kaur residents of Jiwan Singh Wala, Paramjit Kaur(25) wife of Prem Kumar of Hukma Wali( Fatehabad-Haryana), Arjun Kumar (35) son of Chand sri Kumar, resident of Sri pur, Supak(Bihar).
The injured passengers include- Hardip Singh (25) son of Karnail Singh of village Jhanduke (Mansa), Pawandeep Kaur(22) daughter of Bharpur Singh of Jiwan Singh Wala, Ravi Kaur (50) wife of Bhola Singh of Kot Shamir( Bathinda) Nikka Singh (45) son of Beant Singh of Talwandi Sabo, Ashok ( 48) son of Badar (Bihar), Kaushalya Devi(70) wife of Satish Kumar of Rori( Haryana) and three more from Jiwan Singh Wala, named Mandip Singh( 17) son of Jasvir Singh, Baldeep Singh ( 29) son of Balwant Singh and nine year Navdeep Kaur daughter of Mukand Singh.
The condition of some of the injured is stable while remaining are recuperating in Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Civil hospital in Bathinda and many private hospitals