At least 37 are dead after a bus fell into a canal near Patna village in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district on Tuesday morning, officials said. Search operations are still going on, news agency PTI quoted the officials as saying.
According to the news agency, Rewa Divisional Commissioner Rajesh Jain said that after initially fishing out 18 bodies, rescuers have retrieved 19 more bodies.
“A total of 37 bodies, including 16 women, 20 men and a child, have been fished out of the Bansagar canal until now,” he said, adding that a magisterial probe has been ordered.
Earlier, Umesh Joga, Inspector General (Rewa) had said that eighteen bodies had been fished out of the Bansagar canal. Joga had also said at least seven persons swam to safety after the bus landed into the canal near Patna village, around 80 km away from the Sidhi district headquarter, around 8:30 am.
According to The Indian Express, the bus was going from Sidhi to Satna when it fell into the canal in Shardhapathak village.
“The 44 passengers have been identified so far,” Jain said.
Sidhi collector Ravindra Kumar Chowdhary told The Indian Express that a four-year-old was among the dead. While the rescue operation has been nearly completed, the patrolling team has been sent up to a distance of 20 km along the canal to look for more people, the report said.
According to PTI, eyewitnesses had said that the bus sank completely into the water and was not visible in the morning hours. Later, the water level came down as the district administration stopped the release of water into the canal from the Banganga project.
The bus was then spotted at some distance away from the spot where it fell into the water, eyewitnesses said. The bus was retrieved out of the canal with the help of two cranes, officials told the news agency.
Narendra Modi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan announce compensation
The Prime Ministers’ Office tweeted:
Bus accident in MP’s Sidhi is horrific. Condolences to the bereaved families. The local administration is actively involved in rescue and relief work: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 16, 2021
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the bus accident in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh. Rs 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured,” it said in another tweet.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan condoled the deaths and announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh for the families of the deceased.
Rescue work is on and the entire administration, including the commissioner, IG, SP and SDRF teams are engaged in the work, Chouhan had said in a video message earlier.
सीधी की दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण घटना को लेकर मैं लगातार प्रशासन से और राहतकार्य में लगे हुए लोगों से चर्चा कर रहा हूँ।
बहुत दुःखद है कि दुर्घटना में 18 लोगों की जान चली गई है। मन बहुत व्यथित है। बचावकार्य लगातार जारी है; कलेक्टर, कमिश्नर, आईजी, एसपी, एसडीआरएफ की टीम लगी हुई है। pic.twitter.com/TYPKV786Hf
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 16, 2021
“I am constantly in touch with the administration and those involved in relief work in the unfortunate incident in Sidhi,” the chief minister had said.
“I have also sent Water Resources Minister Tulsiram Silawat and MOS for Panchyat Ramkhelawan Patel to the spot in a state plane,” Chouhan added.
The chief minister also confirmed that seven people had escaped. ” The water in the canal was stopped immediately and the bus is coming out [sic],” he had said. All necessary arrangements including hydra cranes, doctors and ambulances were arranged, he had said.
सीधी में आज नहर में बस गिरने से बहुत दुखद दुर्घटना हुई है। सात लोग तो सुरक्षित निकल गए थे।
सुबह से ही राहत और बचाव के कार्य प्रारंभ कर दिये गये थे। कलेक्टर, एसपी, कमिश्नर, आईजी सहित एसडीआरएफ की टीम आवश्यक संसाधनों के साथ वहां तत्काल पहुंच गई थी। pic.twitter.com/MTTCOkyWix
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 16, 2021
Sate govt cancels house-warming ceremony
The state government cancelled the ‘grih pravesh‘ or house-warming ceremony to be attended virtually by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in view of the accident.
The cancellation of the event, which was scheduled to start at 11 am at Bhopal’s Minto Hall, was announced by the chief minister after he reached the venue.
मेरे भाइयों-बहनों, आज हम उत्साह से एक लाख घरों में गृह प्रवेश का यह कार्यक्रम संपन्न करने वाले थे, लेकिन सीधी में यात्रियों से भरी बस नहर में गिरने की दुखद सूचना सुबह मिली। राहत और बचाव का कार्य जारी है। ऐसी परिस्थिति में मेरा मन भी वहीं लगा हुआ है। pic.twitter.com/nfeOWLKum5
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 16, 2021
Shah was scheduled to take part via video conferencing in this programme for the beneficiaries of over one lakh houses constructed in Madhya Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
Expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased, Shah said on Twitter that he had spoken to Chouhan and added that he was sending all possible help to the local administration engaged in the rescue and relief works.
My condolences on the passing away of a noted jurist and former governor of Bihar & Jharkhand, Justice M Rama Jois Ji. He made a lasting contribution to Indian judiciary. His efforts in restoring democracy during the 1975 emergency will always be remembered. Om Shanti Shanti.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 16, 2021
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath has also expressed grief over the bus tragedy, reported PTI.
With inputs from PTI.