Punjab: In an unfortunate incident, at least eight passengers lost their lives after a private bus they were travelling in fell into the Sirhind feeder canal in the Muktsar district of Punjab on Tuesday. According to police, the bus carrying 35 people skidded off the road when brakes were applied near Jhabelwali village on the Muktsar-Kotkapura road.
According to police, it was raining at the time of the incident. For the rescue operation, a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been called. The bus was going from Muktsar to Kotkapura.
Some passengers might have been swept away in the canal
Ruhee Dugg, Muktsar Deputy Commissioner taking cognisance of the bus accident said that it is feared that some passengers might have been swept away by the strong current of water in the canal. Efforts are on to locate them, Dugg added.
The deputy commissioner said the bus has been taken out of the canal with the help of a crane and some injured passengers have been shifted to a hospital.
Villagers came forward to rescue
Dugg said according to the bus operator, the total number of passengers on the bus could be around 35. After the accident took place, villagers came forward to rescue the passengers.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said teams of district administration were on the spot, adding that he was getting regular updates about the rescue operation. "Got the sad news of a private bus accident in the canal on Muktsar-Kotkapura road….Administration teams are present at the spot…I am taking moment-by-moment updates on the rescue operations…God bless everyone. Wish you…will share rest details soon…, CM Mann said in a post on X.
(with inputs from PTI)
