35 injured as bus on way to Rahul Gandhi rally overturns

The bus was carrying supporters to Dediapada town in the Narmada district where Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address a public gathering


Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is holding a rally in Gujarat on Monday. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is holding a rally in Gujarat on Monday. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint

Bardoli: Thirty-five people were on Monday injured, 20 of them seriously, when a bus overturned at Kanja village in Tapi district of Gujarat, police said.

The bus was carrying Congress supporters to Dediapada town in tribal-dominated Narmada district where party vice president Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address a public gathering, they said.

The incident took place before noon when the bus with 35 people onboard overturned after losing balance at a sharp turn at Kanja village in Vyara tehsil on Ukai Dam canal road, a Mandvi police station official from neighbouring Surat district said.

The injured have been admitted to Bardoli civil hospital in Surat metropolitan region.

Earlier, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited the Panduri Mata Temple at Dev Mogara in the district. The goddess is the reigning deity of local tribals.

After arriving at the Vadodara airport this afternoon, Gandhi headed straight to the Dev Mogara village in Narmada district to visit the temple, said Gujarat Congress spokesperson Nishith Vyas.

The temple is situated around 25km from Dediapada village. After paying respects at the temple, Gandhi went to Dediapada to address a rally.

This is the second rally of Rahul Gandhi in recent times in Gujarat. Earlier, in December last year, he addressed a rally in Mehsana of north Gujarat.