At least 17 people were killed and 20 injured when a bus overturned after hitting a divider in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri on the morning of Wednesday, 13 June.
Hours after the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident.
The ill-fated bus carrying around 60-70 people was on its way to Farrukhabad from Jaipur in Rajasthan, Mainpuri Additional Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Singh told PTI, adding that:
The bus overturned after hitting a divider in Tirathpur village located almost 25 km from the district headquarters on the Mainpuri-Etawah road, around 5:30 am. As of now, 17 people have been killed, while 20 others sustained injuries. The bus driver has lost his left leg and is currently admitted to a hospital in Saifai.
As per the initial investigation, speeding might be the cause behind the accident.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the deaths in the incident and instructed officials to ensure proper treatment of the injured in the accident, reported NDTV.
According to PTI, the victims include one woman and 16 men, whose identities are in process of being ascertained by the police.
The injured were admitted to hospitals in Saifai and Mainpuri. Three of the injured passengers, who were admitted in a Saifai hospital, have been referred to Agra.
The private bus was carrying mostly labourers, who work in brick kilns and were returning to their native villages, the police further said.
The number plate of the bus revealed that it was registered in Farrukhabad (UP-76). It was going from Jaipur to Farrukhabad. A number of casualties include those persons who were sleeping on the roof of the bus to escape the heat.Om Prakash Singh, Mainpuri Additional Superintendent of Police to PTI
Mainpuri police said on Twitter that the bus was a double-decker one. The superintendent of police of Mainpuri is present at the spot to monitor the situation arising out of the accident, it further said.
(With inputs from PTI and NDTV)
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