8 dead, 26 injured as bus plunges into drain in Punjab's Bathinda

Eight people lost their lives, including a 2-year-old girl, and 26 others were injured when a bus plunged into a drain near Jiwan Singh Wala village inPunjab's Bathinda district on Friday.

Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray told ANI, " 8 people have died unfortunately, including a 2-year-old girl - 5 of them were in Talwandi hospital, other three people lost their lives in the civil hospital, Bathinda. Out of eight people, 5 have been identified and three are yet to be identified. The bus was at high speed and the driver lost control... All the help that the government can do will be extended to the families."

According to a report by TOI, the bus was struck by lightning, causing the driver to lose control, leading to the vehicle plunging into the drain.


The accident occurred while the bus was traveling from Talwandi Sabo to Bathinda. Locals quickly rushed to the scene to help passengers out of the bus, as reported by PTI, quoting officials.

Police and district administration launched a rescue operation and transported the injured to nearby hospitals. Officials added that inclement weather in the area may have contributed to the incident.