Three killed, 28 injured as bus falls in ditch

At least three persons, including two women, were killed and 28 others injured when a bus carrying members of a marriage party fell into a ditch near here today, police said.
The accident took place at a small bridge on Gadariya rivulet under Newra police station limits at around 11 am, a police official told PTI.
The bus, carrying around 35-40 members of a marriage party, was on its way to Kawardha district from Rajim in Gariaband district.
As per the preliminary information, the driver lost control over the steering wheel following which the vehicle skidded off the road and fell into an 8-10 feet dry ditch and overturned, he said.

"Two persons, including a woman, and the bus conductor died on the spot, while another woman succumbed to injuries at a local hospital," the official said.
Those killed were identified as Barkat Chauhan (55), Rashida and the conductor - Nageshwar (25).
Twenty-eight other bus occupants were injured and rushed to a local hospital. From there, they were shifted to capital Raipur for further treatment, he said.
The bus driver escaped from the spot after the mishap and a search is on for him, the official added.