Bus carrying Delhi students overturns in Bilaspur, 1 dead

Hamirpur, March 3

A girl student was killed and 40 others injured when the bus they were travelling in overturned on the Manali-Kiratpur highway near Kunala village in Bilaspur district today.

The ill-fated bus, carrying students of Delhi-based Jesus and Mary College and Kamala Nehru College, was on way to Manali. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn and it overturned.

The injured were shifted to the Bilaspur district hospital, while a seriously injured person was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, and two others to the AIIMS, Bilaspur.

Bilsapur ASP Rajender Kumar Jaswal said the police had registered a case of rash driving against bus driver Manish Kumar under Sections 297 and 337 of the IPC.

There were 44 persons in the bus, including 35 women students and six coordinators of the group, said Bilaspur SDM Abhishek Kumar Garg.

Kamala Nehru College Principal (Officiating) Dr Kalpana Bhakuni said the college was in touch with the parents of all students. “We are still trying to assess the situation. It is too early to comment. We are in touch with the families,” Bhakuni said.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri have expressed grief over the death of a girl student from Jaipur in the accident. The CM directed the district administration to provide immediate relief to the next of kin of the deceased and the best medical treatment to the injured.

Bilaspur DC Abid Hussain Sadik visited the hospital to ensure that the injured got the best treatment. The district administration released immediate relief of Rs 2.02 lakh to the injured and the kin of the deceased. Every help would be provided to the passengers of the ill-fated bus, the DC added.

(With PTI inputs)