In a gruesome accident, 28 passengers were killed and four others were critically injured on Friday when the bus in which they were travelling hit a high-tension electricity wire in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who received information about this accident in the Assembly, announced Rs 1 lakh as ex-gratia relief for accident victims’ families. He told mediapersons that a magisterial probe has been ordered and also directed three state ministers — Dev Singh Sayyam, Vijay Shah and Jagannath Singh — to rush to Mandla.
According to information received here, the ill-fated bus was carrying a marriage party and the accident occurred near Pindrai in Mandla district. It is learnt that plenty of luggage, including a steel almirah, had been loaded recklessly on the roof of the bus raising its height and this led to the accident. It is also a matter of inquiry whether or not the transmission company had paid attention and ensured adequate ground clearance while laying the high-tension line.