Rajasthan: 8 from MP killed as mini bus falls into drain in Kota

In Rajasthan,  at least eight people from Madhya Pradesh's Betul district were killed, and around nine were injured after a tempo traveller veered off the road and fell into a 15-foot-deep drain on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Kota district on Saturday morning, police said. The accident occurred around 6 am near pole number 384 on the Expressway, under Simliya police station limits, in Kota district of the neighbouring state, officials said. According to Betul Superintendent of Police Virendra Jain, the victims were from Ghatbiroli village under Multai police station, around 65 km from the Betul district headquarters.  Kota Rural SP Sujeet Shankar detailed that the accident occurred when the vehicle went off-track between the 8-lane spacing and fell into the 10-to-15-foot-deep pit.

VIDEO | Kota, Rajasthan: At least eight persons were killed and eight others critical among 15 injured after a mini traveller bus carrying around 23-25 passengers veered off the road and plunged into a 15-foot-deep drain near pole number 384 on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway under the Simliya police station in Kota district on early Saturday morning around 6:00 am. Kota Rural SP Sujeet Shankar detailed that the accident occurred when the vehicle went off-track between the 8-lane spacing and fell into the 10-to-15-foot-deep pit killing at least 8 persons and leaving eight others crucially injured. The traveller driver was suspected to be drowsiness or falling asleep. Rescue operations were immediately launched at the site, though team efforts were initially hampered by mud and accumulated water inside the drain, requiring the deployment of cranes to lift the damaged vehicle and recover trapped individuals. (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/bIyFWTfmBd)

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As per reports, rescue teams faced difficulties due to water and silt in the canal before cranes were brought in to pull out the wreckage. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma expressed grief over the tragedy and directed officials to ensure proper medical care for the injured.