Bus driver killed, 10-12 passengers badly hurt as bus falls into bridge pit on NH-44 near Nagpur

Nagpur: A bus travelling from Jabalpur to Nagpur overturned into a pit dug for a bridge under construction on NH-44 in the Kanhan police station area of Nagpur district in the early hours of Wednesday. The driver, Sunil Yadav, died on the spot, while ten to twelve passengers were seriously injured.

The pit, about 6 feet deep, had been dug for the bridge being built near Dumri. According to the information available, the bus, registration number MH27-8X 6521, met with the accident between about 4 am and 5 am. The bus is said to have lost control and fallen into the pit.

Kanhan police reached the spot, took the injured to hospital and began an investigation. A case has been registered. The cause of the accident will be known only after the inquiry.

Questions have been raised over whether the construction site had adequate warning signs, barricading and other safety arrangements to alert drivers in time, and whether reflectors visible at night and proper lighting were in place. Official findings on these aspects are yet to emerge. The speed of the bus, the driver's control over it and other possible causes of the accident are also to be examined.

It has been said that the officials concerned and the construction agency should inspect the safety arrangements at the site and make the necessary improvements, and that action should be taken as per rules if negligence is found at any level.