At least 37 people, including four children, are feared killed, and about 36 others injured when a bus carrying devotees returning from the Saptshringi shrine in Nashik fell into a gorge late on Sunday night.
Police say the luxury bus belonging to a private company was returning from the shrine in Nandurigaon when it fell into a gorge.
”We were going to Mumbai, the bus overturned while taking a turn I do not know how it happened,” said a victim’s relative.
According to passengers the brakes failed, the driver jumped out and the bus plunged into a gorge. Villagers from in and around used bedsheets to bring out the injured, most of the passengers were from Mumbai’s Worli area.
”We have found out that the bus was overloaded. The bus was only made to seat 45 people but was carrying about 80 passengers when it crashed. From the survivors in the bus we have also come to know that the bus had been driven only by one driver since the last four days. The bus was on a tour of the shrines,” said Nikhil Gupta, SP, Nashik.
”There has been a road accident today. The bus fell into a gorge while doing a hairpin bend. The bus came off in two parts. Approximately 35 people have been killed in the accident,” said Yash Seturamchoplingam, District Magistrate, Nashik.
Injured passengers have been admitted to Vani Rural hospital in Nashik.
”We saw that a bus had fallen. The sarpanch of our village came with his vehicle when he saw this. We do not know how the accident took place,” said a villager.
ndtv.com
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- Police say the luxury bus belonging to a private company was returning from the shrine in Nandurigaon when it fell into a gorge.
- From the survivors in the bus we have also come to know that the bus had been driven only by one driver since the last four days.
- According to passengers the brakes failed, the driver jumped out and the bus plunged into a gorge.
