1 dead, 8 injured as speeding bus topples on Delhi-Jaipur e-way

They said that the injured passengers told investigators that the driver was continuously speeding and kept ignoring repeated appeals to slow down and finally lost control over the bus at a left-curve on the expressway (NH 48). The bus veered off course and toppled on its left after ramming into the divider and a pole

Gurugram: A passenger was killed and eight more including two Zambian nationals were injured when the bus in which they were travelling toppled over at a curve on the Delhi-Jaipur expressway near Narsinghpur on Friday, police said, adding that the bus was travelling at a high speed.

A passenger was killed and eight more including two Zambian nationals were injured when the bus in which they were travelling toppled over at a curve on the Delhi-Jaipur expressway near Narsinghpur on Friday. (Representational Image)

Investigators said that the Arunachal Pradesh registered bus run by a private operator had started from Delhi and was going towards Jaipur when the accident took place at about 1.30am on Friday.

They said that the injured passengers told investigators that the driver was continuously speeding and kept ignoring repeated appeals to slow down and finally lost control over the bus at a left-curve on the expressway (NH 48). The bus veered off course and toppled on its left after ramming into the divider and a pole.

According to the police, such was the impact that the front axle and the wheels were torn from the chassis of the bus.

The passengers screamed for help following which commuters in other vehicles behind the bus rushed to help them. They also alerted the police control room following which an emergency response vehicle arrived at the spot.

Investigators identified the deceased passenger as 22-year-old Sandeep Gujjar of Kotpulti in Rajasthan. They said that Gujjar was returning home on Thursday night after taking the Basic School Training Course examination in Panipat and had boarded the bus at Iffco Chowk with six other friends.

Among the eight injured passengers were Gloria, 29 and Bright, 39, both of whom were Zambian nationals, Priya Kumari, 21, Sunita Kumari, 28, and Mukesh Kumar, 31 of Delhi and Pradeep Kumar, 35, of Jaipur, Rajasthan, police said.

Manesar deputy commissioner of police, Deepak Kumar Jewaria, said that there were 45 passengers inside the sleeper bus. “Nine injured passengers were taken to the Civil Hospital in Sector-10A but unfortunately one of them could not be saved. Pradeep Kumar was later referred to the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi,” he said.

The DCP said that prima facie it seemed that negligence of the driver had resulted in the accident. “He was speeding and fled from the spot after coming out of the damaged bus immediately after the accident,” he said.

Jewaria said that they have registered a case against him at the Sector-37 police station. “We have got his details from the transport firm that operated the bus and are trying to arrest him,” he said.

Based on a complaint by a friend of the deceased called Naveen Kumar, an FIR was registered against the bus driver under sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 125(a) (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and (b) (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 281 (Rash driving or riding on a public way) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Sector-37 police station on Friday.