MP: 24 killed, 41 injured as speeding private bus falls off river bridge in Khargone

Press Trust of India

Khargone /Bhopal: At least 24 people were killed and more than 40 others injured when a speeding private bus packed with passengers plunged into a dry river bed after breaking through railings of a bridge in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district on Tuesday morning, Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel said.

As many as 41 passengers were injured in the accident and undergoing treatment in various hospitals at Khargone and Indore, Patel, who is also minister incharge of the district, told reporters. Patel said Khargone district's Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) was suspended after it came to light that the ill-fated bus was overloaded and speeding at the time of the accident.

There were around 70 passengers in the bus which had capacity to accommodate only 37 people, the minister said. Patel said the police have been directed to launch a drive against speeding and overloading in buses in the district. Officials said 18 seriously injured persons we re referred to Indore for further treatment, while 23 were admitted at the Khargone district hospital.