Police reported that on Tuesday night in Chhattisgarh's Durg district, a tragic incident occurred when a bus carrying employees of a private company plunged into a 'murum' soil mine pit, resulting in the loss of at least 15 lives and leaving over a dozen others injured.
Durg Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla stated that the incident occurred at approximately 8:30 pm near Khapri village within the jurisdiction of Kumhari police station. The victims, who were employees of a distillery company, were on their way home after work when the accident took place.
As per preliminary information, the bus with more than 30 people onboard skidded off the road and plunged into the 40-foot-deep 'murum' mine, he said. Initially 11 deaths were reported in the accident. Later four more persons died in the hospital, he added.
Murum, a soil variety primarily utilized in construction, serves as a common material for such purposes. Following the alert, a police team promptly arrived at the scene and initiated a rescue mission, as confirmed by City Superintendent of Police (Chhavni area) Harish Patil. The injured individuals were swiftly transported to a nearby hospital, as per the official's statement.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the accident and said adequate arrangements have been made for treatment of the injured people.