Patna bus accident: Three killed, 30 injured as bus rams electric pole, falls into ditch
SSP Manu Maharaaj said the bus hit a high voltage electric pole soon after it left Mithapur bus stand, overturned and rolled into the ditch.
At least three people were killed and more than 30 injured when a private bus, carrying them, overturned and fell into a roadside ditch in Patna on Friday.
The bus on way to Rosera in Bihar’s Samastipur district from Patna, overturned near Dhanuki More, killing three people on the spot, police said. They had been identified as Mohammad Ayub from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, Jaysri Paswan form Samastipur and Kanhaiya Jha from Darbhanga, the police said, adding that 17 of the seriously injured passengers were admitted to the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna.
Passengers on board the ill-fated bus said the incident occurred when the driver lost control while attempting to overtake another vehicle. “He was driving at a very high speed and did not slow down even after repeated appeals by passengers,” said Pranlal Paswan, one of the injured.
Senior officers, including district magistrate (DM) Kumar Ravi and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj reached the site soon after of the accident and supervised the relief and rescue operation. National Disaster Response Force personnel were also pressed into service.
Maharaaj said the bus hit a high voltage electric pole soon after it left Mithapur bus stand, overturned and rolled into the ditch. The vehicle was at a good speed at the time of the mishap, he said. The supply of electricity was immediately stopped to prevent any further loss of life and injury to bus passengers, he said.
A case under sections 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life of others) and 427 (mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) hadbeen registered against the driver with the Agamkuan police station, a police officer said.
The DM announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh each to the family of the deceased.