Bhopal/Bhind, April 25 A horrific road accident on National Highway 552 claimed the lives of three young men and left another fighting for survival after a speeding bus collided with their motorcycle in the Umri area of Bhind district on Saturday.
The incident, which occurred near Kishore Singh Ka Pura village around 1:30 PM, was marked by an act of extreme negligence, as the bus driver dragged the victims' motorcycle for five kilometres before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing the scene, police officials said.
They further said four youths were travelling together on a single motorcycle when a bus approaching from the opposite direction struck them with immense force.
The impact killed two of the riders instantly.
In a desperate attempt to escape, the driver did not stop the bus, even after the motorcycle became wedged beneath the bus chassis.
Witnesses in a trailing car reported chasing the bus and honking repeatedly to alert the driver, but he continued to accelerate, dragging the mangled bike all the way to Umri town.
The harrowing pursuit only ended when the bus finally halted, causing a frantic scramble as passengers disembarked in terror, allowing the driver to disappear into the crowd, the police officials said.
The aftermath of the collision highlighted significant gaps in local emergency medical response.
While the two injured survivors were initially rushed to the government-owned Community Health Centre and later referred to the Bhind District Hospital, a third youth succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
The fourth victim remains in critical condition and requires an urgent transfer to a specialised facility in Gwalior for ventilator support.
However, reports from the hospital indicate that the injured youth had to wait in agony for nearly an hour due to a lack of available ambulances.
Police said an investigation has been launched and the bus has been impounded.
Authorities are currently working to establish the identities of the deceased and the sole survivor, as no identification documents were immediately recovered from the site.
The police have also launched a manhunt for the driver.
--IANS
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