Madhya Pradesh: CCTV footage shows chai halt of ill-fated bus

INDORE: It was just another bus. Just another chai stop. No one at Madhuban Dhaba on Agra-Mumbai highway in MP's Dhar paid much attention to the people who walked in for tea and breakfast that day.
In half an hour, it would turn into a day none of them will forget. Eight of the men who walked into the dhaba at 9.05am on Monday were among those killed when the bus broke through the railings and plunged into the Narmada, less than 5km from the chai stop.
The employees of Madhuban Dhaba on Dudhi Bypass are in shock after realizing that they were the last ones to see the victims alive. CCTV footage shows six passengers and the bus driver and conductor alight from the red Maharashtra government bus and walk in for tea and nashta.
“We were serving samosa, kachori and poha. These passengers asked for samosa and chai. I shudder to think that none of them knew it would be their last meal,” Mahesh, an employee of the dhaba, said with a heavy heart.
Another employee said he glanced up at the bus parked outside and wondered if any more would come into the dhaba. “I guess they didn’t want to step out as it was raining,” he said.
After finishing their breakfast, the passengers, driver and conductor walked back together to the bus at 9.20am and drove off, shows CCTV footage. Just 15 minutes later, they were all dead.
The dhaba owner, Sahu Nayak, received a call from Khaltaka police outpost and was told of the accident. “I was in complete shock when the officer told me that the bus had fallen off the bridge and everyone on board was feared dead,” Nayak told TOI. He said police were trying to ascertain the number of passengers on board and wanted his help because it was the last stop before death.
“My phone kept ringing as police officers, administrative officials, public representatives and locals kept calling about the incident. All I could do was to give them the CCTV footage,” added Nayak.