New Delhi, March 25 A sleeper bus from Jaipur overturned near Hanuman Mandir in central Delhi's Karol Bagh area early Wednesday, killing two passengers and injuring 23 others, officials said.
Around 1 am, the Karol Bagh police station received a PCR call informing that several passengers were trapped inside a bus following an accident, he said.
The bus, bound for Delhi from Jaipur, had around 30 passengers on board, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir said.
A police team led by the SHO of Karol Bagh, along with picket staff and night patrolling personnel, rushed to the spot and found the bus lying overturned, the officer said.
"The passengers were trapped inside and crying for help," he added.
Police personnel, along with the Delhi Fire Services and locals, immediately launched efforts to rescue the trapped passengers, he said, adding that a JCB machine nearby was used to help lift the bus and rescue those trapped inside.
Nirmal, an eyewitness, said, "The bus overturned about five minutes before we reached, and all the passengers inside were injured. It was coming from somewhere in Rajasthan and heading towards Noida."
"It was very dark in this area at night, so the driver probably couldn't see anything. The bus was traveling at high speed and suddenly overturned. It also collided with another vehicle and knocked down the boards installed here. I was not on that bus; I was traveling from Uttam Nagar to New Delhi," he said.
Around 10 critically injured passengers were rushed to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, 12 were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and one to Lady Hardinge Medical College, the police said.
Two passengers, both men, succumbed to their injuries at RML Hospital, the officer said.
One of the deceased has been identified as Shehbaj Alam (30), a resident of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, while the identity of the second victim, in his mid-20s, is yet to be ascertained, he said.
The bus driver, Pankaj Kumar (26), a resident of Rajasthan's Alwar, has been detained and is undergoing treatment at Lady Hardinge Medical College.
"Further investigation is underway, and details of the injured are being collected from the hospitals. Necessary legal action will be taken against the driver after the inquiry is complete," the officer said.
Officials said that the prompt response of police personnel, along with assistance from the public and the fire department, helped save lives.