Sleeper bus overturns in Delhi; 2 dead, 23 injured

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) A sleeper bus from Jaipur overturned near Hanuman Mandir in central Delhi's Karol Bagh area early Wednesday, killing two passenger and causing injuries to 23 others, officials said.

Around 1 am, Karol Bagh police station received a PCR call informing that several passengers were trapped inside a bus following an accident, he said.

The Delhi-bound bus from Jaipur has around 30 passengers on board, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir said.

A police team led by the SHO of Karol Bagh, along with picket staff and night patrolling personnel, rushed to the spot and found the bus lying overturned, the officer said.

"The passengers were trapped inside and crying for help," he added.

Police personnel, Delhi Fire Services, along with locals, immediately launched efforts to pull out the trapped passengers, he said, adding that a JCB machine nearby was roped in to help lift the bus and rescue those stuck inside.

Nirmal, an eyewitness, said, "The bus overturned about five minutes before we reached, and all the passengers inside were injured. It was coming from somewhere in Rajasthan and heading towards Noida." "It is very dark in this area at night, so the driver probably couldn't see anything. The bus was at high speed and suddenly overturned. It also collided with a vehicle and knocked down boards installed here. I was not on that bus; I was travelling from Uttam Nagar to New Delhi," he said.

Around 10 critically injured passengers were rushed to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, 12 injured were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and one to Lady Hardinge Medical College, the police said.

Two passengers, both men, succumbed to injuries at RML Hospital, the officer said.

One of the deceased has been identified as Shehbaj Alam (30), a resident of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, while the identity of the second victim, in his mid-20s, is yet to be ascertained, he said.

The bus driver, Pankaj Kumar (26), a resident of Rajasthan's Alwar, has been detained and is undergoing treatment at Lady Hardinge Medical College.

"Further investigation is underway and details of the injured are being collected from the hospitals. Necessary legal action will be taken against the driver following completion of the inquiry," the officer said.

Officials said the prompt response of police personnel, along with assistance from the public and fire department helped save lives. PTI