Madhya Pradesh: 37 dead as bus falls into canal; rescue ops still on
Sidhi/Rewa (MP): At least 37 people, including 16 women, died after the bus they were travelling in fell off a bridge into a canal near Patna village in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district on Tuesday morning, a senior official said, adding that search operations are still going on.
After fishing out 18 bodies initially, rescuers have retrieved 19 more bodies until now, said Rewa Divisional Commissioner Rajesh Jain.
"A total of 37 bodies, including 16 women, 20 men and a child, have been fished out of the Bansagar canal until now," he said, adding that a magisterial probe has been ordered.
Prima facie, 44 passengers were travelling on the bus at the time of the accident, which occurred around 8:30 AM.
"Seven persons managed to swim to the banks of the canal after the incident and 37 bodies have been recovered.
The 44 passengers have been identified so far," Jain added.
Earlier in the morning, Inspector General (Rewa zone) Joga had confirmed the recovery of 18 bodies from the accident site. The bus landed into the canal near Patna village, around 80 kms away from the Sidhi district headquarter, around 8:30 AM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he ordered to stop the water outflow from the Bansagar dam so that the water level in the canal can go down, which will aid in rescue operations.
He tweeted that teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local authorities were conducting rescue operations at the spot.
Without specifying the number of the deceased, the chief minister said many "precious lives" were lost in the accident.
Expressing grief, the CM said he was praying for the safety of the missing persons. Chouhan also said that efforts to save the missing passengers are underway.
"I am continuously monitoring the situation. I am in touch with senior officials engaged in the rescue work," he told reporters in Bhopal.
The chief minister also announced the ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to kin of each victim killed in the accident.
"I have also sent Water Resources Minister Tulsiram Silawat and MOS for Panchyat Ramkhelawan Patel to the spot in a state plane," Chouhan said.
Meanwhile, in view of the accident, the CM has cancelled the 'grih pravesh' or house-warming ceremony to be attended virtually by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Shah was scheduled to take part in this programme, scheduled to be held at 11 AM Minto Hall in Bhopal, for the beneficiaries of over one lakh houses constructed in Madhya Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath has also expressed grief over the bus tragedy.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
