Segaon (Madhya Pradesh): Four passengers, three women and an eight-month-old child, were killed and over 20 others were injured after a bus in which they were travelling met with an accident on the Khandwa-Baroda highway. The victims were identified as Aarti (28), a resident of Rangaon, Barwani; Vedant (8 months), son of Bharat Mandloi from village Golwadi, Segaon and two women aged around 40 to 45 years.
According to information, the bus was en route from Khargone to Alirajpur when it lost control and fell into a roadside ditch near Jiratpura crossing, about 42 kilometres from the district headquarters. The incident took place at around 1:15 pm, with reports stating that the bus (MP10-P-7755) had approximately 25 to 30 passengers on board.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the bus travelled at high speed when it veered off the road and overturned into a ditch. Tragically, three women and an eight-month-old child were pronounced dead at the scene. Before the accident, 15 passengers were reportedly headed to embark on the Narmada Parikrama pilgrimage, expecting to take a route that would eventually lead them into Gujarat.
Rescue operations were promptly initiated by local authorities, including the Segaon police, who arrived shortly after being informed of the accident. They were joined by the tehsildar and villagers who assisted in the rescue efforts. The overturned bus was righted using two JCB machines, allowing rescuers to extricate the trapped passengers.
Following initial treatment, the injured individuals were transported to Segaon Hospital, with 11 of the more seriously injured transferred to the district hospital for further care. Khargone SP Dharmaraj Meena stated that the bus overturned about 500 metres before a turn near Segaon. The bus conductor has been taken into custody as part of the investigation into the accident. Survivors of the tragic event shared their harrowing experiences.
Vandana Sadavarte, a passenger, recounted how the bus was moving fast and how she sustained injuries to her head and hand. Sundita Bhavsar, another passenger, mentioned the confusion surrounding the bus’s sudden overturn, stating that it did not seem to be travelling fast at the time of the accident.
