While five passengers were killed when a bus overturned on the Kardeega-Kunkuri road in Jashpur district, another five died in a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a truck on the Raipur-Bilaspur National Highway in the Balodabazar district.
Photo: SNS
At least 10 people were killed and more than 40 others injured in two separate accidents, involving passenger buses, reported from the Jashpur and Balodabazar districts of Chhattisgarh on Friday. The crashes that occurred hours apart prompted large-scale rescue operations and emergency medical responses by police, local residents and health authorities.
While five passengers were killed when a bus overturned on the Kardeega-Kunkuri road in Jashpur district, another five died in a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a truck on the Raipur-Bilaspur National Highway in the Balodabazar district.
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The first accident occurred near Goda Amba village in the Duldula block of Jashpur, under the jurisdiction of the Kardeega police outpost. A passenger bus travelling from Kardeega to Kunkuri reportedly went out of control and overturned after smashing through the wall of an under-construction building along the roadside.
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Officials said the bus was carrying more than two dozen passengers at the time of the accident. Preliminary findings indicate that a suspected brake failure caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Five passengers were killed in the crash and more than 14 others sustained serious injuries, with local sources confirming that a child was among the victims.
The accident created scenes of panic at the site as passengers were trapped inside the overturned vehicle. Local residents rushed to the scene and began rescue operations, pulling victims out of the bus while alerting police and district authorities.
Following instructions from the Chief Minister’s camp office in Bagia, emergency response teams were immediately deployed. Three ambulances were rushed to the accident site, and the injured were shifted to the Community Health Centre in Kunkuri and Holy Cross Hospital for treatment. Kunkuri Block Medical and Health Officer Dr Kiran Ekka confirmed that five people lost their lives in the accident and several others remain critically injured.
Meanwhile, another major accident was reported on the Raipur-Bilaspur National Highway near Darchura village under the Simga police station limits in the Balodabazar district.
The accident occurred when a passenger bus heading towards Raipur collided head-on with a speeding truck, injuring more than 30 passengers. Suich was the impact of the collision that both the vehicles left badly damaged with several passengers trapped inside the twisted wreckage of the bus.
Locals were the first to reach the scene and began rescuing injured passengers before police and emergency responders arrived.
The injured passengers were first rushed to nearby hospitals before being referred to Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital (Mekahara) in Raipur for specialised treatment. One critically injured victim later died during treatment, taking the death toll in the highway accident to five.
Simga police station in charge Lakhesh Kenwat said preliminary findings suggest overspeeding may have been responsible for the collision, although a detailed investigation is underway.
Those who lost their lives in the Balodabazar accident include Triveni Sahu (62) and Dashrath Sahu (80) from Baba Mohtara in Bemetara district, Radhika Nirmalkar (24) of Betar, two year old Khushi Sahu, and an unidentified 18 year old woman who died during treatment in Raipur.
Reacting to the accidents, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed deep grief over the loss of lives. In a message posted on social media platform X, he described the incident as deeply distressing and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
The Chief Minister prayed for peace for the departed souls and wished a speedy recovery for the injured. He also directed the district administration to ensure that all victims receive proper medical treatment and that there is no lapse in relief and rescue efforts.
Authorities said investigations into both accidents are underway. The twin tragedies have once again drawn attention to road safety concerns on highways and rural transport routes, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations and improved monitoring of passenger vehicles across the state.
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