MP: Bus falls in canal, 7 rescued

Sidhi (Madhya Pradesh), Feb 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) Seven passengers were rescued from a bus that plunged into a 30-feet deep canal in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday morning, the police said. According to sources there were around 50 passengers in the bus.

A large number of passengers, who were travelling from Sidhi, are feared trapped in the vehicle, that has submerged, the police said, adding that a major rescue operation was underway. Locals said the bus fell into the canal around 7.30 a.m.

According to information received from the Police Control Room, early Tuesday the driver of the private bus travelling from Sidhi to Satna lost control and the vehicle fell into the Sharda canal in Rampur police station area. There is water in this canal. The bus is completely submerged making search operations difficult.

BJP MLA Sharadendu Tiwari told IANS that the main canal coming out of Bansagar Dam is Sharda Canal. This canal is about 30-feet deep. The bus has fallen in this canal.

"The bus is completely submerged. It's heart wrenching.

"The water supply from Bansagar Dam has been stopped so that the bus can be easily accessed. Seven people have been saved so far. No dead bodies have been found yet. The bus had more than 50 passengers.

"Equipments including cranes have been brought for rescue operations. Administrative staff is also on the spot."

Sidhi's Superintendent of Police Pankaj Kumawat has not confirmed any death yet. But media reports have claimed four lives were lost.

Sources said that a large number of people may have died in this accident, because the bus is completely submerged and its been already a few hours. Although water supply has been stopped from Bansagar Dam, it will take about two to three hours for the water level to come down to make rescue operations easier.

Source: IANS