Maharashtra: Bus falls into Panchganga river in Kolhapur; 13 dead
In a tragic incident, a minibus with 17 passengers onboard fell into Panchganga River in Maharashtra's Kolhapur, killing at least 13 people. Three families were returning from popular picnic destination Ganpatipule on the Konkan Coast when the incident took place. Officials said 16 persons were traced, of which 13 were dead, including three men, three women, seven children, and a nine-month-old baby. Here's more.
Driver lost control of bus; smashed into bridge barrier
The minibus was on the Shivaji Bridge on Panchganga River when the driver lost control and rammed into the bridge's stone barriers, plunging 80-100 feet into the water. Kolhapur Police and fire brigade rushed to the site. Police said all the 17 passengers hailed from Pune. 16 were traced of which 13 are dead and three are undergoing treatment. Search operations are ongoing.
All passengers of the ill-fated bus were related
"The passengers, which included three families who were all related, were on a temple tour of Maharashtra. They were returning from Ganpatipule when the tragedy occurred. We are probing whether the driver was in an inebriated state or not," said a police official.
