At least 15 dead, several injured after bus falls off bridge in MP’s Khargone, ex-gratia announced

Madhya Pradesh bus accident: At least 15 people were killed and over 20 were injured when a bus they were travelling in fell from a bridge in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone. Emergency services with the help of local villagers are engaged in rescue operation.

At least 15 people were killed after a passenger bus fell off the bridge in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone on Tuesday morning. Dharam Veer Singh, SP Khargone confirmed that at least 15 people lost their lives while several others were injured in the accident. The bus was en route to Indore when it skidded off the bridge.

Rescue efforts are underway. According to preliminary estimates, there were around 50 individuals on board. The event occurred on Tuesday about 8.30 a.m. The injured were shifted to a hospital nearby.

The Madhya Pradesh government provided immediate financial aid of Rs 4 lakhs to the relatives of the deceased, Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured, and Rs 25,000 to those with lesser injuries in the Khargone bus disaster.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office announced that a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each will be given to the families of those who died.  

"The PMNRF will pay an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased in the bus accident in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh. The injured would get 50,000," according to the PMO's office.

The bus was on its way to Indore from Shrikhandi when it fell down after breaking the railing of the Borad river bridge between Danswa and Dongargaon. The private bus operated by Maa Sharda Travels was overloaded which might have led to the mishap, according to the reports. However, the exact reasons behind the mishap are yet to be ascertained. The administration has called for a magisterial investigation into the bus disaster.