Mandla: Tragedy struck 28 members of a
marriage party, most of them women, when they were
electrocuted after the bus they were travelling in touched a
high-voltage wire and caught fire in this in Madhya Pradesh
district.
The incident occurred when an iron box and almirah
kept on top of the bus came in contact with the overhead
wire near Surajpur village, Mandla Collector K K Khare said.
The deceased, all tribals, comprised 23 women, two men
and three boys, he said, adding there were 36 people in that
ill-fated bus.
Six injured are undergoing treatment at the district
hospital.
The marriage party was returning from Sukaria village
to Doni village. A criminal case has been registered against
the bus owner, driver and conductor, police said, adding the
driver and conductor jumped from the vehicle when it came in
contact with the wire.
In Bhopal, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
announced a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each to the
families of the deceased and free treatment to the injured.
He said a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into
the accident.
PTI
