Kota: At least eight members of a family were killed and eight others injured after a minibus carrying around 23 people plunged into a 15-foot-deep drain along the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan’s Kota district on Saturday morning, October 17.
The accident occurred around 6 am under the jurisdiction of Simliya police station. The family was travelling from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh to Khatu Shyamji temple in Sikar district, Rajasthan, when the vehicle reportedly veered off the expressway and fell into the drain.
Rescue Operation Hampered by Mud and Water
Emergency teams rushed to the accident site after receiving information about the crash. Rescue personnel faced difficulties because the drain was filled with mud and accumulated water, complicating efforts to reach passengers trapped inside the damaged vehicle.
Cranes were deployed to lift the minibus and assist in recovering those trapped in the wreckage. Rescue teams worked to retrieve the victims and help the injured passengers.
Simliya police station house officer Nand Singh confirmed that eight bodies had been recovered from the vehicle during the initial rescue operation. Authorities were continuing their efforts to assess the situation and establish the identities of those involved.
Eight Injured Taken to Hospitals
Eight injured passengers were shifted to medical facilities in Kota for treatment. They were admitted to New Medical College Hospital and MBS Hospital, according to police.
Three ambulances were deployed to transport the injured from the accident site to the hospitals.
The identities of the deceased and injured had not been established at the time of the initial report. Officials were working to verify the passengers’ details and inform their families.
Police also indicated that the death toll could rise as rescue operations continued and the authorities completed checks at the scene.
Police Investigate Cause of Accident
The circumstances that caused the minibus to veer off the expressway remain under investigation. Officials are examining the incident to establish how the vehicle left the road and plunged into the deep drain.
The crash has once again drawn attention to the risks associated with serious road accidents on high-speed expressways, particularly when vehicles leave the carriageway and enter difficult-to-access areas.
Rescue and recovery operations continued at the site as authorities worked to account for all passengers and establish the full details of the accident.