36 Dead After Bus Plunges Into River in Bengal, Rescued Passengers Say Driver Was Talking on Phone

Kolkata: At least 36 people were killed after a state roadways bus fell into Bhairab River after breaking the railing of a bridge in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Monday morning.

There were 50 passengers in the ill-fated bus that was going from Shikarpur in Nadia district to Malda. While nine people were rescued by the authorities, a search operation is still underway to find if more people are trapped, officials said.

Speaking to News18, chief medical officer of health (CMOH) in Murshidabad, Dr Nirupan Biswas, said, “So far 36 bodies identified and we will complete the post mortem on Monday night itself. Rescue operation is still undergoing.”

The incident triggered protests, with locals alleging delay in arrival of police and attacking the force. They also torched a police vehicle. Locals also damaged a fire tender when it reached the spot to douse the blaze in the police vehicle. Police used batons to disperse the mob.

According to official sources, it took eight hours to locate and lift the bus out of the water body using five hydraulic cranes.

Irate mob sets afire a police jeep after the bus fell into the river in Murshidabad district on Monday. (PTI Photo)

The cause of the accident was not known yet, but an eyewitness claimed that the bus was going at a high speed and the driver lost control while trying to swerve away from a lorry that was coming from the opposite direction. Locals, however, blamed the dilapidated condition of the bridge for the tragedy.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other ministers cut short an event in Kolkata and rushed to the accident site in a helicopter. "The bus driver might have been unmindful. There was fog also," she said.

She announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the family of those killed in the accident, while Rs 1 lakh would be given to those seriously injured. Rs 50,000 would be given to the other injured people, Banerjee said.

Immediately after the bus fell into the canal, local boatmen rescued a few people, but most of the passengers could not come out of the vehicle.

According to sources, the NDRF joined state disaster management personnel in the rescue operation. Deep-water divers were also deployed, they said, adding a control room was opened in the Murshidabad district to give information about the accident.

The district magistrate, senior police officers, including the SP are at the spot to monitor the rescue operation.