December 27th 2024.
Tragedy struck Bathinda on Friday, when a private bus carrying over 45 passengers crashed through a bridge railing and plunged into a nearby drain. The incident occurred in Jeewan Singhwala village, leaving eight people dead and more than 20 injured, according to police reports.
Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray and Senior Superintendent of Police Amneet Kondal shared that initial investigations suggest the bus was speeding and the driver may have lost control while trying to avoid a collision with a trailer truck. The weather was also unfavorable at the time of the accident.
The bus was en route from Talwandi Sabo to Bathinda when the accident occurred. Locals from the village quickly rushed to the scene to assist the passengers. Sadly, five women were among the eight people who lost their lives in the incident. Police and district administration officials immediately launched a rescue operation and transported the injured to a hospital. The National Disaster Response Force also arrived to offer their assistance.
Expressing their deepest condolences, President Droupadi Murmu offered their prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured. "I am deeply saddened by the news of the bus accident in Bathinda, Punjab. My heart goes out to all the families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," President Murmu stated in a post in Hindi on social media platform X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the incident, saying "Saddened by the loss of lives in the bus accident in Bathinda, Punjab. My condolences to the families of the victims. Wishing a speedy recovery to all those injured." He further announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakhs for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
Unfortunately, the rescue operations were hindered by the fact that the drain into which the bus fell was filled with sewage water. Parray, who was supervising the rescue efforts, stated that medical teams and ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene after the accident. Sadly, five people were killed on the spot and three passed away while receiving treatment at the hospital. The number of injured was reported to be over 20.
Bathinda Urban MLA Jagroop Singh Gill visited the hospital where the injured passengers were taken. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured that a team from the state administration had reached the spot and the injured were being taken care of in a hospital. "My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the departed souls and I wish a speedy recovery for the injured passengers," Mann stated in a post on social media platform X.
Former Punjab Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amarinder Singh also expressed his condolences, saying "Deeply saddened by the tragic bus accident in Bathinda, which claimed eight lives and injured 26 others. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. May they find strength during this difficult time and I pray for the quick recovery of all the injured."
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