MP: Death toll rises to 23 in Khargone bus accident

The death toll in the Khargone bus accident rose to 23 on Tuesday afternoon, Inspector General (IG) of Indore Rural Range, Rakesh Gupta said. The accident occurred after a private passenger bus fell from Dongargaon bridge near the Dasanga area under the Oon police station limits in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district around 8:30 am on Tuesday.

IG Gupta said, "23 people have died so far in the Khargone bus accident. About 20-25 injured are being treated in Khargone district hospital and 11 seriously injured have been referred to Indore.

"It is quite difficult to say the reasons for the accident in the preliminary investigation. Complete investigation will be done then only the reason would be known because the driver of the bus, who is undergoing treatment, is changing his versions about what happened, Gupta said.

"When we spoke to the driver, he gave us different versions. First he said, a vehicle came in front and then he told us that the belt of the bus broke down. Therefore, after the complete investigation, including mechanical probe will be done and then we will know the actual reason for the accident," the officer said, adding that our first priority is the treatment of the injured.

When asked about the number of passengers boarded in the bus, he said that it would also be known after the complete investigation. Among the deceased, 22 persons were identified as Vivek Patidar (23), Som (11 months), Durgesh Singh (20), Sanjay (30), Dhanlal Gurjar, Santosh (45), Ram Kunwar (60), Priyanshu (1), Vijay, Sukhdev Patidar, Malu Bai, Kanha Patidar and Kallu Bai, residents of Khargone district, Devki and Sumit, residents of Dhar district, Savita Bai, Anchal (18), Lakshmi Bai (32), Mangati Bai (75) and Pinki, residents of Barwani district, Arjun, a resident of Manwar and Muskan (14), a resident of Indore district.

The state government announced immediate financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased, Rs 50,000 each to the seriously injured and Rs 25,000 each to those who received minor injuries in the accident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the bus accident and announced ex-gratia for the families of the deceased and the ones injured.

The Prime Minister announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next kin of those deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

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