Bus accident: Last minute route change & bravery by 1 family

A last minuteroute diversion due to a heavy traffic jam proved fatal formost passengers of a private bus in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesdayeven as tales of bravery and human instinct to help those indistress emerged from the tragedy.

Showing immense courage, five members of a localfamily, including a girl named Shivrani Lonia and her brother- all aged between 16 and 22 years - saved seven passengersbut one of them died later during treatment.

Passengers unsuccessfully tried to break the windowsof the ill-fated bus, carrying more than 55 people, includingstudents, when it rolled down into a canal after skidding offthe road near a village in Sidhi district, said a survivor.

At least 45 passengers, including 20 women, werekilled in the accident which took place in the morning.

The bus was speeding and the driver fled as soon asthe bus fell into the canal.

''The bus got filled with water and people franticallytried to break the window panes to save themselves butfailed, said Vibha Prajapati, who was going to Satna toappear in an examination for ANM (Auxiliary NursingMidwifery).

Prajapati, with tears rolling down her cheeks, toldreporters she tried to save her brother, who was travellingwith her in the bus, but does not where he is now.

I brought my brother half-way but he was left behind.

Nobody is searching for my brother, she said.

Prajapati said the bus was carrying 30-35 students whowere going for appearing for the ANM examination in Satna.

She said the bus was overcrowded and at least 15-20passengers were standing and three persons were sitting onsome of the seats meant for two.

There should be at least 55 passengers in the bus.

Some people got off at Churhat (a town between Sidhi andSatna) because there was no seat for them in the bus,Prajapati said.

A witness to the tragedy, Shivrani Lonia said theill-fated bus was speeding and skidded off the road and rolleddown into the water-filled canal.

I saw the speeding bus coming from there (pointingtowards a direction) and it plunged into the canal afterskidding off from the road, Lonia told reporters.

I along with my brother jumped into the canal waterand saved two persons,'' she said.

District collector Ravindra Kumar Choudhary said Loniaand her family members saved seven passengers, includingwomen.

Choudhary said, Shivrani Lonia, her brother Lavkushand three others rescued seven persons from the ill-fated busjust after the accident. However, one of the survivors diedduring treatment.'' ''All the persons who rescued the passengers belongedto one family and they were aged between 16 and 22 years,'' thecollector said.

Choudhary said they took these passengers out of waterafter jumping into the canal though they are not professionalswimmers, but knew swimming.

He praised the Lonia family members for their act ofbravery.

At the time of the accident, he said, the water levelin the canal was about 25 feet.

Meanwhile, several people, including Chief MinisterShivraj Singh Chouhan, praised Shivrani Lonias bravery.

I salute the courage shown by daughter Shivrani. Notcaring for her life, this daughter saved the lives of twopassengers by jumping into the canal in Sidhi. I thank thedaughter. The entire state is proud of you,'' the CM said inBhopal.

A senior official said the accident took place nearPatna village, around 80km from the Sidhi districtheadquarters, when the ill-fated bus was on its way to Satnafrom Sidhi.

Sources said the ill-fated bus took the new route viaPatna village after diverting from its regular route passingthrough the Chhuhiya Ghati.

There was a heavy traffic jam at the Chhuhiya Ghati,which falls between Sidhi and Govindgarh town on way to Satna,leading to the route change, the sources said.