Six more bodies were fished out from a river on Friday raising to eight the death toll in the accident in which a bus was swept off a bridge in Bankura district on Thursday.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs.2 lakh to each bereaved family. While five bodies were recovered from the Bhairabanki river in the district, another body was recovered from the Kansabati in adjoining Paschim Medinpur district. About 45 passengers of the bus that was headed for Durgapur in Bardhaman district from Jhargram in Paschim Medinipur district were rescued. Two bodies were recovered in rescue operations, but there were reports of more missing people when rescue operations were resumed on Friday.
“We have recovered five more bodies during the day. Since there is no information of more missing persons the rescue operations have been called off,” Ghulam Ali Ansari, District Magistrate of Bankura told The Hindu over telephone.
The bodies were swept away by the strong current of the river and found about 15 to 20 km away from the accident site.
