At least 13 passengers were killed on 18 July after a bus heading towards Maharashtra’s Pune fell into the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district. Informing on Twitter, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said, “Heartbreaking information has been received about a passenger bus going from Indore to Pune falling into the Narmada river at Khalghat in Dhar district. So far 15 passengers aboard the bus have been safely rescued. The rescue operation is going on continuously at the incident site.”
The bus, belonging to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), was believed to be carrying 30 to 32 people, another official said. The bus broke the railing of a bridge on the National Highway No.3 (Agra-Mumbai road), situated close to Dhar and Khargone borders, and then fell into the river, he said. The bus left from MP’s Indore city in the morning and was heading to Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, MSRTC officials said. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and briefed him the details of the accident.
“Till now, 13 bodies have been recovered. Rescue operation underway. I’ve spoken with Maharashtra CM and Dy CM. We’re making every possible arrangement. Directions given for probe. I’ve also directed Min Kamal Patel to reach the spot,” CM Chouhan said.
The Madhya Pradesh CM also expressed sorrow on this heart-wrenching accident. He wrote, “This heart-wrenching accident of Khalghat took away many of our loved ones from us untimely. Heart is full of sorrow and pain. I am with the bereaved families in this time of grief. May God give peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family members to bear the loss.”
