Major accident in Chhattisgarh; 13 killed, 53 injured as bus falls off bridge in Balrampur

Balrampur: In an extremely unfortunate incident, at least 13 people were killed and 53 others injured when a bus fell off a small bridge into a dry rivulet in Chhattisgarh.

The accident took place in Balrampur district on Wednesday night.

Reportedly, the private luxury bus was on its way to the state capital Raipur from Gadhwa of the neighbouring Jharkhand state when the accident took place at Daldhowa ghat around 10.30 pm, about 400 km from Raipur.

Around 5 kms away from Balrampur district headquarter, the bus driver suddenly spotted a motorcycle at a sharp curve at Daldhowa and while trying to save him, lost control over the steering following which the vehicle skidded into the dry rivulet and overturned two-three times, Balrampur Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar said.

Soon after getting news of the incident, a police team rushed to the spot and began rescue work, he said.

The identity of the victims, all of them male, was being ascertained, he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raman Singh has expressed grief over the incident.