8 KIDS AMONG 30 DEAD IN BUS ACCIDENT

At least 30 people, including eight children and seven senior citizens, died after the bus they were travelling on plunged into a canal in Karnataka’s Mandya district on Saturday, police said.

They added that two-year-old Preksha was the youngest and 70-year-old Ningamma the oldest among the victims.

The private bus, carrying about 35 people, fell into the canal at Kanganamaradi village of Pandavapura taluk of the district, said an official.

A PTI report claimed that the children on board the bus were returning home after half-day school.

“After inspecting the spot, I found out that the bus veered off the road and went over 60 feet of the bank around the canal and plunged into the waters,” state transport minister DC Thamanna said, addressing the reporters at the accident site.

He further pointed out that the accident could have been averted if there were crash barriers on the banks.

“I will speak to the chief minister and ensure that this work is taken up at the earliest,” he said.

Meanwhile, CS Puttaraju, state minor irrigation minister, who is in charge of the district, has accused the driver of negligence.

“We have already recovered 30 bodies. We will get a clearer picture soon,” he said. “The driver appears to have fled the spot...,” he said.

Girish, who survived the accident, told reporters that the accident happened in a flash and instinct took over.

“Suddenly, we realised that the bus was veering off the road and, before we could do something, it plunged into the canal. Soon, the water levels started rising.

I broke a window and swam to safety,” he said, adding that about 35 people were on board the bus.

Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, who rushed to the accident spot to take a stock of the situation, has announced compensation of ~5 lakh each to the family of the deceased.