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More than 20 passengers sustained injuries after an overcrowded double-decker sleeper bus heading from Punjab and Haryana to Bihar overturned in the early hours on the Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradeshs Sambhal district, an official said here on Wednesday.
The bus, carrying nearly 150 to 200 passengersfar exceeding its legal capacitywas transporting migrant workers and their families heading home to districts including Purnia, Darbhanga, Supaul, and Sitamarhi for the upcoming Diwali and Chhath Puja festivals. According to surviving passengers, the accident took place between 4:30 AM and 5:30 AM. Eyewitnesses alleged that the bus was travelling at high speed when the driver, who appeared to have fallen asleep or was driving under the influence of alcohol, lost control. The vehicle swayed erratically before skidding off the tarmac into the soft roadside soil and flipping over onto its side. Local administration and emergency response teams swiftly arrived at the scene. Trapped commuters, including women and children, were rescued by smashing the emergency windows. The injured were transported via ambulances to the Sambhal District Hospital. Recounting the horrific crash, Mukesh Kumar, a passenger hailing from Supaul who boarded the bus in Ambala, said,"The driver was speeding and lost control. The bus wobbled violently twice before crashing into the roadside on the third wobble. It was packed like a train compartment with over 150 people. We had to smash the windowpanes to crawl out. If it had fallen into a water body, no one would have survived." Another passenger, Farzana Parveen, travelling to Darbhanga, alleged negligence on the driver's part: "The bus was overcrowded with nearly 200 people. The driver had consumed alcohol at a roadside dhaba and was driving recklessly. Around 5:30 AM, the bus suddenly overturned with a deafening thud, leaving women, children, and elderly passengers pinned underneath." Dr. Rajendra Saini, Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) at Sambhal District Hospital, said medical staff were put on high alert to treat the inflow of victims: "Over 20 injured individuals from the Ganga Expressway accident have been admitted to the district hospital. All patients are receiving emergency medical care and are being kept under continuous observation. Adequate medical supplies and doctors have been deployed." Police have cleared the wreckage from the highway to prevent traffic disruption and have registered a case to probe into allegations of overloading and negligent driving. (ANI)
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