Two dead as Delhi bus fells into trench

Two people died and several suffered injuries when a chartered, privately operated bus in which they were traveling on Wednesday evening slipped off a road into a 20-25 feet deep trench near the Akshardham temple in east Delhi, police said.

Two people died and several suffered injuries when a chartered, privately operated bus in which they were traveling on Wednesday evening slipped off a road into a 20-25 feet deep trench near the Akshardham temple in east Delhi, police said.

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The bus, going from Okhla to Dilshad Garden, met with the accident when driver Raj Bahadur, 35, lost control over the wheel while trying to save a child crossing the road in Pandav Nagar area near Noida Mor around 7.15 pm.

Around 47 people were travelling in the bus. The police said seven people, including five women, were injured seriously.

Rescue team with fire fighting engines and cranes was pressed into service to save the injured trapped inside the bus. The bus belonged to Chaudhary Travels.

"The bus slipped off the road and went down 20-25 feet down near the Akshardham temple. Two men, including the driver, have been killed. The other man is yet to be to be identified. Many people are also injured," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (east Delhi) Anand Mohan.

He said the injured have been rushed to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital. "The rescue operations are over and we are probing as to what led to this mishap," he said.

An eyewitness alleged that police arrived late on the spot.

"Since police did not came in time, we ourselves took the victims to the hospital," said Ram Kumar, one of the witnesses.

The accident led to huge traffic jams at NH-24 and its surrounding areas.