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Death toll in bus accident touches 94

The toll in yesterday's bus accident near Harihar in Davanagare district of Karnataka mounted to 94 with the recovery of 66 more bodies from Devarabelakere pick-up dam, today.

An overcrowded private bus, proceeding from Honnali to Harihar, plunged into the dam after one of its tyres burst.

This was one of the worst road accidents in the state in recent times.

Inspector General of Police A R Infant told UNI over phone from Davanagere that the dead included 35 women, 10 boys and three girls. Except one, all the bodies had been identified and handed over to the relatives.

He did not rule out the possibility of the toll rising as divers from the nearby villages were still searching for bodies that could have been stuck in the silt in the dam built across a rivulet.

He said that 25 people, including the driver of the ill-fated bus, were undergoing treatment at various hospitals. Nine were treated as out-patients.

Infant said the bus was extricated from the dam using a heavy duty crane around 0300 hours today. Most of the bodies were stuck in the bus. There was seven to eight feet water in the dam and the bus was totally submerged in it.

He said tension prevailed in the area for some time as the villagers were angered over the loss of so many lives. However, the situation was brought under control without the use of force, he added.

UNI

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