Five persons were killed and 35 others injured when a private bus carrying pilgrims hailing from Madhya Pradesh fell into a deep gorge in Gujarat's Dang district early Sunday morning, police said.
Among the injured persons, 17 were grievously hurt, they said, adding the victims were on a trip to religious places across various states in the country.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the critically injured victims.
The accident occurred around 4.15 am when the bus driver lost control over the wheels near Saputara, a hill station, in-charge Superintendent of Police SG Patil said.
He said the bus, carrying 48 pilgrims, broke the crash barrier and plunged 35 feet into the gorge.
The passengers started at night for Dwarka in Gujarat from Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra's Nashik district.
The official said they stopped for tea at Saputara before resuming their journey when the accident occurred 2.5 km from the hill station.
"Five persons died on the spot, and 17 others suffered serious injuries and have been rushed to a civil hospital at Ahwa. Some others have sustained minor injuries. The rescue operation is nearly over," the official said.
The bus driver was among the deceased, including three men and two women, according to police.
Patil said a total of 35 passengers were taken to the nearby community health centres (CHCs) for treatment, and 17 of them were referred to the civil hospital at Ahwa in the district.
The pilgrims, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, had set out on four different buses on December 23, 2024, on a trip to religious places across various states, he said.
Dang Collector Mahesh Patel said the unfortunate incident occurred after one of the four buses carrying the pilgrims fell into the gorge.
"As per the passengers, they had tea and breakfast at Saputara before resuming their journey. The driver likely lost control of the vehicle due to brake failure. Medical staff are working diligently to treat the injured persons," he said.
A team of locals and police personnel conducted the rescue operation. They brought out the passengers from the bus and rushed them to the CHCs for treatment.
Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior Zone Inspector General of Police Arvind Saxena told PTI that the bus was 52-seater. It had 48 persons on board and was not overcrowded, he said.
According to the initial information gathered by Madhya Pradesh police, the deceased include bus driver Ratan Lal Jatav, hailing from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, two other men, Bolaram Kushwaha, Pappu Yadav, and women Guddi Bai and Kamlesh Bai Yadav, from Shivpuri district, the official said.
IG Saxena said after a post-mortem, the bodies were being transported to Madhya Pradesh in ambulances and are expected to reach Shivpuri and Vidisha on Monday morning.
Taking to X, MP Chief Minister Yadav expressed his condolences and announced assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh to the critically injured and Rs 50,000 to others hurt in the accident.
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