Raipur, March 6 – Five people were killed and more than 20 others were injured in a road accident in the Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh on Friday. The incident involved a passenger bus traveling from Kurdeg in neighboring Jharkhand to Kunkuri, which reportedly lost control and overturned.
According to police officials, the bus, with registration number CG 14 G 0263, was descending a slope in Godamba village under the Kardegga outpost area at around 9:45 a.m. when its brakes reportedly failed.
A passenger requested the driver to stop the bus, but he was unable to do so as the brakes had failed. Shortly afterward, the vehicle lost control and overturned near a house under construction belonging to Surendra Sai.
More than two dozen passengers were traveling in the bus at the time.
Local residents quickly responded to the commotion at the accident site. They informed the authorities and used earth-moving equipment to clear the bus and rescue trapped passengers. Three ambulances arrived at the scene and transported the injured to hospitals.
Kunkuri Block Medical Officer K. Kujur confirmed that five passengers died in the crash. The deceased included a husband and wife, as well as a father and his infant son.
They were identified as Mahesh Ram (45), son of Rathu Ram from Makribandha village in the Duldula tehsil; his wife Bimla (42), from the same village; Sampati Devi (52), wife of Keshav Ram from the Simdega district in Jharkhand; Digeshwar (40), son of Dilbhajan from Dhodhi village in the Kurdeg tehsil in the Simdega district; and Ghanshyam, a five-month-old infant, son of Digeshwar from the same village.
Collector Rohit Vyas confirmed the details of the accident.
The seriously injured, including four critical cases, were referred to Ambikapur Medical College for advanced treatment. Thirteen others are currently receiving treatment at medical facilities in Kunkuri and the district hospital.
In a compassionate gesture, Kaushalya Devi Sai, wife of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, visited the Kunkuri hospital after learning of the tragedy. She met with the injured passengers, inquired about their condition, and instructed medical staff to ensure the best possible treatment and necessary facilities.
Authorities are investigating the precise cause of the accident as rescue and relief operations conclude.