At least 24 persons were killed and five sustained injuries when a private bus fell into the Mej river from an 80-foot bridge in Rajasthan’s Bundi district on Wednesday. The deceased include 10 women and three children. The victims were members of a marriage party carrying mayra (gifts) for the bride.
The accident occurred near Papdi village, 75 km from Bundi district headquarters, when the driver lost control of the vehicle while traversing the bridge. The bridge had no walls or railings. The bus submerged in the waters, making rescue difficult for the State Disaster Response Force team.
Residents from nearby villages rushed to rescue the passengers and joined the SDRF team.
Bundi Collector Antar Singh Nehra said the passengers were travelling from Kota to Sawai Madhopur via the Kota-Lalsot mega highway.
The injured were admitted to the government hospital in nearby Lakheri. The bodies were shifted to Kota, where they were cremated at the Kishorepura crematorium in the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed condolences on the death of the large number of people, most of whom were from the same family. The State government has announced a solatium of ₹2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.