Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A sleeper bus travelling from Pune to Nagpur fell into a 20-foot-deep nullah on the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Jalna Road on Saturday at around 4.30am. The accident claimed the life of the bus cleaner, Sai Sanjay Shinde (22), a resident of Kalikanagar, Shirdi, Ahilyanagar, while 28 passengers were injured. The condition of two passengers is said to be critical.
The luxury bus (MH 43 CK 0800) had crossed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and was heading towards Jalna. There were two drivers, two cleaners and 25 passengers on board. The driver reportedly lost control of the bus on a bridge near Fetehpur Shivar. The vehicle broke through the bridge's safety walls and plunged into a 20-foot-deep nullah. The passengers were trapped inside the bus and cried for help in the early morning hours.
The police suspect that the driver may have dozed off while driving on the narrow road, leading to the accident. Questions have also been raised about the driver's physical condition, the speed of the bus and the rest taken before the journey. The investigation is expected to establish the driver's working hours and whether he had adequate rest before taking the wheel. However, the exact cause of the accident has not yet been established.
An ambulance driver from Jagadguru Narendracharya Maharaj Sansthan rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). Traffic on the road was completely disrupted following the accident. The police, with the help of local residents, cleared the remains of the bridge's safety wall and restored traffic.
