8 Dead, 26 hurt as bus plunges into drain in Punjab

NEW DELHI: Eight people died and 26 others were injured when a bus plunged into a drain near Jiwan Singh Wala village in Bathinda district on Friday.

Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray told ANI, " 8 people have died unfortunately, including a 2-year-old girl - 5 of them were in Talwandi hospital, other three people lost their lives in the civil hospital, Bathinda. Out of eight people, 5 have been identified and three are yet to be identified. The bus was at high speed and the driver lost control... All the help that the government can do will be extended to the families."

The bus was reportedly struck by lightning, which caused the driver to lose control and the vehicle to fall into the drain.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences and announced financial assistance. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs. 50,000 will be provided to those injured. The PM’s office wrote on X, “Saddened by the loss of lives in the bus accident in Bathinda, Punjab. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.”


According to PTI, the police said that the bus veered off a bridge and dropped a few feet into a nullah (drain) while travelling from Talwandi Sabo to Bathinda. Locals immediately rushed to the scene to assist in rescuing the passengers.

Police and district administration teams launched a rescue operation and transported the injured to nearby hospitals. Authorities noted that the weather was poor at the time of the incident.

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