Bus veers off bridge & falls into Banas river; 33 dead

Jaipur: At least 33 people, including four children, were killed and seven others injured on Saturday when a bus plunged into the Banas river after veering off a 100- foot bridge in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, police said. The incident took place early in the morning in Soorwal police station area when the bus, carrying about 45 passengers, was on its way to Lalsot from Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, they said.

The driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle and it plunged into the river after breaking the railing of the bridge, the police said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and said his thoughts were with the families of the deceased. "State government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

Soorwal police station SHO Anoop Singh said of the 33 people killed, seven are women and four children. The injured were rushed to hospitals. The bus driver was also killed in the incident, a police officer had said earlier.

He said that 19 bodies were handed over to the kin of victims after post-mortem and autopsy of 14 bodies was yet to be conducted. One body is still unidentified, he added. On reports that the bus driver was a minor, the SHO said it was yet to be ascertained.

Passengers were from Rajasthan and other states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. Several of them were going to offer prayers at a temple in Malarna Chour in the district, the SP said.