Madhya Pradesh: 1 dead, 59 injured as bus carrying pilgrims overturns; rescue operations delayed due to hilly terrain

BARWANI: A 62-year-old woman died and 59 were injured after a sleeper bus carrying pilgrims overturned in Khetia police station of Barwani district on Friday.A sleeper bus carrying Narmada Parikrama pilgrims overturned at a turn in a hilly region near Baigor village on the Barwani–Khetiya road of Barwani district on Friday at around 9:30 am. A woman died on the spot, and all injured were rescued and sent to the govt hospital in Khetia, said Khetia police station in charge, Surendra Kanesh, to TOI. He mentioned that the double-decker sleeper bus (MP 46 ZP 7986) was carrying devotees to Narmada Parikrama and was set upright by a crane.Block medical officer Pansemal, Dr Rajesh Dhole, told TOI that 62-year-old Sugan Bai, who hailed from Dhar, was brought dead, and 59 persons, including 5 kids and 20 women, were treated.All the injured are being referred to the district hospital in Barwani, he added. District Collector Jayati Singh and local MLA Shyam Barde reached the Khetia hospital, took stock of the situation, and gave instructions.Dishan, who was cooking food for the devotees, said that the bus overturned after losing balance at the ghat. He added that with the help of villagers, the bus windows were broken, and the passengers were rescued.According to initial reports, the bus departed from Bokrata towards Khetiya around 9:30 am when the accident occurred near Baigor village.The pilgrims were travelling from Omkareshwar to Maharashtra’s Prakasha, halting in Bokrata for the night before continuing their Narmada Parikrama journey. Due to the hilly terrain and poor mobile network between Bokrata and Khetiya, communication and rescue operations were initially hampered.