Team News Riveting
Bhopal, February 16
As the private bus packed with passengers plunged into the canal in Sidhi district today morning, a young girl jumped and swam to the ill-fated vehicle.
She was followed by four other members of her family including brother. The girl, Shivrani Lonia and her family members displayed immense courage but could save seven passengers; one later died in the hospital. The remaining 47 passengers including 20 women on board were not lucky and died in the tragic accident.
The bus MP 19 P 1882 was on the way to Satna from Sidhi. The ill-fated bus took the new route via Patna village after diverting from its regular route passing through the Chhuhiya Ghati because of heavy traffic jams. The route change proved fatal as the driver was reportedly not familiar with the new road that was also very narrow.
Near Patna village, around 80km from the Sidhi district headquarters, the driver lost control and the vehicle plunged into the canal.
Shivrani Lonia, who was standing nearby, recalled that the bus was speeding and skidded off the road before rolling down into the water-filled canal. At the time of the accident, he said, the water level in the canal was about 25 feet.
“I saw the speeding bus coming from there (pointing towards a direction) and it plunged into the canal after skidding off from the road,” Lonia told reporters. She along with her brother jumped into the canal water and saved two persons, Shivrani added.
District collector Ravindra Kumar Choudhary said Lonia and her family members saved seven passengers, including women. “Shivrani Lonia, her brother Lavkush and three others rescued seven persons from the ill-fated bus just after the accident. However, one of the survivors died during treatment,” Choudhary said.
“All the persons who rescued the passengers belonged to one family and they were aged between 16 and 22 years,” the collector said, adding that they took the passengers out of water after jumping into the canal though they were not professional swimmers, but knew swimming.
Most of the passengers were young and going to appear for an examination.
