6 killed as bus falls into canal in Bengal

No arrests made yet; police looking for the driver of the vehicle; conductor undergoing treatment

Six persons were killed and 19 others injured when a bus fell into a canal from a bridge in Haripal village of Hooghly district on Tuesday, the police said.

Three men and three women died when the bus, heading to Howrah from Arambagh with around 30 passengers, dashed against the cement railings of the bridge, breaking it, and fell into the Dakatia Khal near Gojarmore at 9 a.m., Hooghly Superintendent of Police Sukesh Jain said.

19 injured

“Six persons have died in the accident and 19 others, excluding one, are being treated at a hospital in Haripal. We have shifted one critically injured to a hospital in Kolkata,” Mr. Jain said.

Nobody was arrested in connection with the incident and the police were looking for the driver, he added.

The bus conductor was undergoing treatment at the hospital, Mr. Jain said.

Samples collected

“Forensic experts have collected samples from the accident site. They have also collected samples from the bus and are trying to find out whether it was a mechanical snag or a fault of the driver,” the SP said.

According to locals, though there was not much water in the canal, half of the vehicle got submerged due to the impact.

Bus pulled out

Locals and the rescue team had a tough time bringing out the injured from the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled out of the canal within a couple of hours after the accident.

Preliminary reports suggest that the driver lost control of the vehicle.

In January 2018, more than 40 persons died when a bus fell into a canal in Murshidabad district.

During this festive season, the West Bengal government had announced a grant of ₹10,000 each to the 28,000 Durga Pujas in the State to promote the Safe Drive Save Life campaign of the State government.

(With PTI inputs)