Around two dozen people were injured, including two passengers who sustained severe injuries, when a speeding bus hit a divider and overturned on the Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway in Rajasthan`s Dausa on Wednesday morning, reported news agency ANI.
The incident occurred around 6 am near channel number 165 of the Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway, close to Peechupara village.
Upon hearing the victims` screams, residents from the nearby villages of Peechupara and Somada rushed to the scene and called for an ambulance. With the help of the locals, the victims were admitted to the Dausa district hospital, where treatment is underway, reported ANI.
Two individuals who were seriously injured were referred to Jaipur for better medical care, while others were admitted to the district hospital in Dausa, receiving primary treatment and some were discharged.
The bus, carrying pilgrims, was returning to Jaipur from Haridwar after their pilgrimage. Reportedly, the accident occurred because the driver fell asleep at the wheel.
Dr Mahendra Meena, the emergency duty officer at Dausa Hospital, confirmed, “The accident happened on the Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway near channel number 165. The driver fell asleep, causing the bus to hit a divider and overturn. Almost two dozen travellers are injured, with two serious cases referred to Jaipur. Others are either admitted to the hospital or discharged after primary treatment,” reported ANI.
One of the travellers, Govind Soni, hailing from Bassi, said, “I had to deboard the bus in Dausa, but since the driver fell asleep, the bus overturned and the accident occurred at around 5.30 – 6.00 am. We had gone to Haridwar on the same bus and were returning when the accident happened,” reported ANI.
Another traveller, Chandra, from Jaipur, stated that they were sleeping when the accident occurred. They didn`t have time to react, reported ANI.
This is not the first accident case reported on the Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway. Over the past 10 months, around 100 people have lost their lives on this highway, indicating a troubling frequency of such incidents on this highway.
Earlier, on May 12, three people of the same family were killed and half a dozen, including four children, were injured in a road accident on the Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway in Rajasthan`s Dausa.
All the family members were travelling in a car from Ahmedabad to Haridwar when a speeding truck hit their vehicle near Bada village.
(With inputs from ANI)