Raipur: The death toll in the bus accident in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district has gone up to 16, with three more people, including a woman, succumbing to their injuries at a hospital, police said on Thursday. 16 people were killed and 53 others injured when a bus fell off a small bridge into a dry rivulet in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district Wednesday night, police said.
"Three persons died in Ambikapur district hospital in the night hours. Thirteen others who were in a critical condition were shifted to Raipur," Balrampur Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar said. The other injured passengers were admitted to a local hospital in Balrampur, he said.
The private luxury bus was on its way to the state capital Raipur from Gadhwa of the neighbouring Jharkhand state when the accident took place at Daldhowa ghat around 10.30 pm, about 400 km from here.
Around 5 kms away from Balrampur district headquarter, the bus driver suddenly spotted a motorcycle at a sharp curve at Daldhowa and while trying to save him, lost control over the steering following which the vehicle skidded into the dry rivulet and overturned two-three times, Balrampur Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar told PTI over phone.
Soon after getting news of the incident, a police team rushed to the spot and began rescue work, he said.
"So far there are reports of 13 deaths while 16 critically injured were shifted to Ambikapur District Hospital. Besides, 37 other injured have been admitted to local hospital at Balrampur," the SP added.
The identity of the victims, all of them male, was being ascertained, he added. he also said that the driver had died in the mishap.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raman Singh has expressed grief over the incident.
The CM has directed the district administration to provide best medical care to the injured and prayed for their speedy recovery, an official spokesperson here said.
