The accident occurred after the bus collided with the iron angle of the canal bridge due to which one-half of the bus was left hanging in the canal while the other half was hanging in the air.

Bus Falls Into Canal In Muktsar: A bus full of passengers fell into the Sirhind feeder canal near Jhabelwali village on the Muktsar-Kotkapura road on Tuesday afternoon in the Muktsar district of Punjab. The bus was going from Muktsar to Kotkapura. The accident occurred after the bus collided with the iron angle of the canal bridge due to which one-half of the bus was left hanging in the canal while the other half was hanging in the air. So far 8 passengers have died in this accident while many people are missing. Five of the dead have been identified. They are residents of Muktsar, Fazilka, Faridkot, and Bathinda. Three people have not been identified yet while police have found 11 injured so far.

Many Feared To Be Swept Away

According to the administration, there were about 35 passengers in the bus and many people are feared to have been swept away into the canal. Initial investigation has revealed that it was raining and the bus driver suddenly applied brakes due to which the bus went out of control and after hitting the angle, broke the railing and fell into the canal.

Muktsar DC Ruhee Dugg said that 8 people have died. The 11 people who were injured have been admitted to the hospital. The exact cause of the accident is being investigated whether the bus was overspeeding or it slipped due to rain.

NDRF Called For Rescue Operation

After the accident, the DC Ruhee Dugg reached the spot. Seeing the situation, she immediately called NDRF teams. NDRF teams are searching for people in the canal using motorboats.

Administration Releases Control Room Number

The passengers traveling in the bus have not been identified yet. The administration has set up a control room to provide information to the people. The number is 01633-262175.

The deputy commissioner said the bus has been taken out of the canal with the help of a crane and some injured passengers have been shifted to a hospital.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said teams of district administration were on the spot, adding that he was getting regular updates about the rescue operation.