BUDAUN: At least one passenger died and over 30 others were injured after a sleeper bus overturned on the Ganga Expressway following a tyre burst, police said on Monday.The accident occurred near Sarai Piparia village in the Musajhaag area around 12.30 am. The bus was travelling from Khaga in Fatehpur district to Ludhiana, officials said.Senior superintendent of police Ankita Sharma said the tyre of the sleeper bus burst suddenly near the 202-km mark on the expressway.“The driver lost control, and the bus overturned three to four times before crossing the divider and fell onto the opposite lane,” Sharma said.A passenger identified as Anuj (34), a resident of Fatehpur district, died on the spot.“More than 30 passengers sustained injuries in the accident. Six of them are in critical condition and have been referred to Bareilly for advanced treatment,” the SSP said.Police said several passengers got trapped inside the mangled bus.“It was fortunate that the bus did not fall into a deep ditch alongside the expressway. Otherwise, there would have been more casualties,” Sharma added.Soon after receiving information about the accident, police teams from Musajhaag, Dataganj and nearby police stations, along with health department staff and ambulance services, rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation.Officials said rescuers broke open the bus windows and cut through seats to pull out passengers trapped inside the overturned vehicle.The injured passengers were shifted to nearby community health centres and the district hospital for treatment.Authorities said around 24 passengers sustained minor injuries, while six others were critically injured and admitted to the district hospital. Some of the critically injured were later referred to a hospital in Bareilly for advanced treatment.District Magistrate Avneesh Rai said the administration is closely monitoring the situation and ensuring proper medical assistance to the injured.“A few passengers with minor injuries have been discharged after treatment, while six injured persons remain admitted to the district hospital. Some of them have been referred to Bareilly due to the seriousness of their injuries,” Rai said.He said preliminary findings suggested that overspeeding and the tyre burst were the likely causes of the accident. (With agency inputs)
