Tragedy struck on the volatile Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand border when a bus packed with devotees crashed into a steep gorge, killing five and injuring dozens more. The mishap unfolded around 8 PM on the Balco-Narayanpur highway, a route plagued by poor maintenance and frequent landslides during monsoon season.
The bus, en route from a temple fair in Jharkhand to Chhattisgarh’s interior villages, reportedly skidded on a rain-soaked curve before tumbling down a 150-meter deep valley. Shrieks of terrified passengers echoed through the hills as locals mobilized to assist before professional help arrived.
NDRF teams, supported by police and forest department choppers, extracted survivors from the mangled wreckage. Among the dead were three pilgrims and two crew members; the injured, numbering around 80, include several in critical condition airlifted to advanced trauma centers.
Officials suspect driver fatigue and vehicle overload as key factors, with the bus carrying nearly double its capacity. Both state governments have ordered magisterial inquiries and promised road widening projects. This incident reignites debates on passenger safety, with activists demanding stricter enforcement of speed limits and mandatory fitness checks for commercial vehicles navigating India’s perilous terrains.