Dozens killed in India bus plunge

At least 33 dead, 7 injured as speeding bus loses control on bridge and lands in river

NEW DELHI— At least 33 people were killed on Saturday after a passenger bus veered off a bridge and plunged into a river in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, police said.

Seven injured passengers were hospitalized in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan state, 375 kilometres south of New Delhi, said police officer Narain Singh.

The speeding bus was trying to overtake another vehicle when it rammed through the bridge railing, said B.L. Soni, another police officer. It fell 30 metres down into the Banas River.

Video shows men climbing atop the partially submerged bus to pull passengers out of its windows.

The driver was among the dead, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

Rescuers have recovered 33 bodies from the river and all on board the bus have been accounted for, Singh said.

The victims, who were from various Indian states, were on their way to a nearby Hindu temple in Lalsot, a town in Rajasthan state, for pilgrimage.

The bus had picked up passengers from the Sawai Madhopur railroad station when it crashed around 7 a.m., Singh said.

India’s roads are notoriously dangerous. A study of 2016 traffic deaths revealed that150,785 people had died across the country in road accidents that year.

Police figures show India has the world’s highest road accident death toll, with more than 110,000 people dying each year in crashes. Driver fatigue, negligence, poorly main- tained roads and vehicle maintenance are the usual causes of such accidents in the country.

Vasundhara Raje, the chief minister of Rajasthan, said the state would provide assistance to the victims.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement that he was “anguished” by news of the crash.

“My thoughts are with the families of the deceased,” Modi said on his Twitter account.

“State government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected.” With files from the New York Times

AFP/GETTY IMAGES An injured passenger is helped after a speeding bus in western India rammed through a bridge railing while trying to overtake another vehicle.