AGRA: At least 29 people were killed and 16 others injured when a passenger bus fell into a gorge on the Yamuna Expressway early Monday morning.
Initial probe revealed that the mishap occurred after bus driver of the UPSRTC Jan Rath dozed off at the wheel. The bus, after hitting the divider, fell into the 40-feet-deep gap between two flyovers on the expressway near Milestone 161 (Jharna nullah) under Etmadpur police jurisdiction of Agra district at around 4.15am.
According to Major (retired) Manish Singh, in-charge coordinator of Yamuna expressway, “It seems the bus driver of the UPSRTC Jan Rath fell asleep on the wheel, breaking the divider and taking the bus into 40-feet shallow gap between two flyovers of Yamuna expressway.”
Senior superintendent of police, Agra, Babloo Kumar said, “Our teams are engaged in rescue operation. As of now 29 casualties have been reported. The injured have been shifted to hospital.”
The double-decker bus with about 50 passengers was heading to Delhi from Lucknow.
Expressing grief over the tragedy, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the passengers killed in the accident. He also instructed the officials to expedite rescue work and provide proper treatment to the injured.
UP DGP OP Singh also directed the officials to carry out relief and rescue work in full swing.
