8 killed as bus falls into drain on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Kota

A bus overturned on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in KotaKOTA: At least eight persons were killed and eight others injured after a mini bus carrying around 23 members of a family from Madhya Pradesh veered off the road and fell into a 15-foot-deep drain along the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway under Simliya police station in Kota district early Saturday morning.The family members departed from Bhopal around 7 pm Friday and headed to Khatu Shyamji temple in Sikar district of Rajasthan. The accident took place around 6 am Saturday.Rescue operations were swiftly launched, though team efforts were severely hampered by mud and accumulated water inside the drain. Emergency personnel deployed cranes at the spot to lift the damaged vehicle and recover trapped individuals.Confirming the details of the ongoing operation, Simliya SHO Nand Singh told TOI that eight bodies have been retrieved from the wreckage so far. He noted that around 23 passengers were on board the traveller bus during the crash.The injured were rushed to nearby medical facilities, including New Medical College Hospital and MBS Hospital in Kota, with three ambulances deployed for quick transportation, the SHO said. Eight injured passengers have been admitted to the two medical facilities for treatment, police said.While official casualties currently stand at eight fatalities, authorities fear the death toll may rise as rescue teams continue to clear the site and verify victim identities.Identities of those killed and injured are yet to be ascertained, along with other details of the passengers, the SHO said.