12 injured as bus crashes into railing at Dera Bassi

DERA BASSI: As many as 12 persons sustained injuries when the Haryana Roadways bus in which they were travelling in crashed into the Ghaggar bridge railing in order to avoid collision with a car on the Chandigarh-Ambala stretch near Bhankarpur village here this morning.

The Haryana Roadways bus that hit the Ghaggar bridge railing while averting a collision with a car in Dera Bassi on Saturday. PHOTO: NITIN MITTAL

Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi, September 22

As many as 12 persons sustained injuries when the Haryana Roadways bus in which they were travelling in crashed into the Ghaggar bridge railing in order to avoid collision with a car on the Chandigarh-Ambala stretch near Bhankarpur village here this morning.

Following the incident, the bus got stuck on the roadside railing preventing it from falling off the bridge. All injured persons, including the bus driver, were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi. Later, four of them were referred to the GMCH, Sector 32, Chandigarh, while a few others were sent to the PGI, Chandigarh, said sources.

The sources said the incident took place at 8.30 am. The bus, with around 40 passengers on board, was on its way towards Ambala from Chandigarh.

It is learnt that a car, which was also going in the same direction, suddenly came in front of the bus, forcing the bus driver to apply brakes. He lost control over the vehicle and rammed it into a retention wall of the Ghaggar bridge. The front portion of the bus was damaged in the accident. The bus driver also sustained injuries in the mishap and had been admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh, the sources said.

One of the injured persons, Mohammad Kalim, a resident of Maloya, who was on board when the incident took place, said he works as a daily wager and had boarded the bus from Chandigarh for Dera Bassi.

Mohammad said he was sitting in the front row behind the driver’s seat. When the bus reached near the Ghaggar bridge, a car suddenly came in front of it. The bus driver, in order to avoid collision, steered the bus to his right and ended up crashing it into the roadside retention wall. The bus that got stuck in the roadside railing could have fallen into the Ghaggar, resulting into a major tragedy.

Mohammad Kalim suffered an injury on his right eye and foot. He suffered stitches on the forehead. He is undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi.

No case was registered in this connection.

Bus driver admitted to PGI

A car, which was also going in the same direction, suddenly came in front of the bus, forcing the bus driver to apply brakes. He lost control over the vehicle and rammed it into a retention wall of the Ghaggar bridge. The front portion of the bus was damaged in the mishap. The bus driver also sustained injuries and had been admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh.