‘Couldn’t save my daughter’: Passengers recount Madhya Pradesh bus accident horror

“The bus, departing Guna at 8 pm and nearing Aaron by 8.30 pm, carried around 30 passengers. While 14 were rescued from the inferno, we recovered 12 bodies,” Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Khatri said.

District Collector Tarun Rathi said all the injured were receiving treatment at a local hospital. “Five ambulances tirelessly ferried them, while fire trucks, hampered by the accident’s location, arrived later,” he said.

Rescue officials recover bodies from the charred remains of a bus that caught fire after colliding with a dumper in Guna district, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. (PTI)

At the local hospital, Shriram Ojha, a passenger, said his daughter died in the accident. “We were headed to Aaron. The dumper’s impact sounded like a bomb blast. The bus overturned, engulfed in flames. People were piled on top of each other. I couldn’t save my daughter,” he said.

Another passenger Mohan Singh recounted the incident: “I had boarded from Guna with bakery goods. Suddenly, the bus swerved, throwing passengers onto me. By the time I escaped, it was scorching, and the bus went up in flames soon after. Some couldn’t make it out.”

Eyewitness Mukesh Dhakad said he was driving a tractor nearby when the accident took place. “I rushed with my partner to help. We pulled out about 15-17 people through the windows of the bus,” he said.

Among the passengers on the bus were five Aaron-based women, who had just been released on bail in an assault case, and their relatives.

Nisha Ojha, who was returning from Guna Court with the five, said, “We were heading to Aaron. The accident left me momentarily disoriented. We escaped through broken glass, just as the fire erupted. Sangeeta, who came with me, is missing.”

VIDEO | “I am deeply saddened by the terrible accident. I have directed that the incident be investigated properly, and steps be taken to steer clear of any such future mishaps,” says Madhya Pradesh CM @DrMohanYadav51 on Guna bus fire. pic.twitter.com/5jpFIPo47D

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 28, 2023

Vinita Ojha, a relative, explained, “The court granted bail to Savita, Gaura Bai, Nisha, and Sangeeta. Six male family members remain in jail.”

Gaura Bai, who was also on the bus, said, “Sangeeta sat beside me on the cleaner’s side. We were talking when the dumper collided. A loud blast, then fire. Laik, my sister-in-law, urged me to escape. I crawled through the front windshield, leaving Sangeeta trapped inside…”

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered an investigation into the accident.

आज गुना में जिला चिकित्सालय पहुंच कर बस हादसे में घायल लोगों का हाल जाना एवं उनसे घटना के संबंध में जानकारी ली। pic.twitter.com/MqLqBmPh42

— Dr Mohan Yadav (@DrMohanYadav51) December 28, 2023

“Investigation will be conducted at all points of the incident. He (the CM) has instructed transport department officials to ensure that such accidents do not recur,” the CM’s official account on X said in a post.

Yadav, who left for Guna on Thursday morning, has directed the district administration to provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of those killed, and Rs 50,000 each to those injured. Instructions have also been given to district authorities regarding the medical treatment of the injured.

The police will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident, including whether the bus was being rashly driven, wherever it had a valid fitness test certificate, and other aspects.