13 injured as bus crashes into no-entry zone during Navratri feast in Jabalpur

Jabalpur, Oct 1 (PTI) Thirteen persons were injured when a private bus rammed into a no-entry zone during a Navratri feast in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Tuesday night in Sihora town where a Navratri 'bhandara' (feast) was underway, they said.

Prima facie, the bus driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident and was later taken into custody, the officials said.

Due to the Navratri festival, the entry of heavy vehicles into Sihora was prohibited. However, a bus defied the no-entry rule and crashed into the area near Gauri tri-junction under Sihora police station limits, Jabalpur Collector Raghvendra Singh said.

A total of 13 persons, including those manning the area, suffered injuries in the incident. Eight persons were given primary treatment in Sihora, while five were admitted to Jabalpur Medical College, he said.

Among the five, the condition of three was serious, the official said.

Prima facie, it appears the driver was drunk and that resulted in the accident, the collector said.

After the incident, some angry people vandalised the bus and assaulted the driver, Additional Superintendent of Police, Rural, Suryakant Sharma said.

Police later seized the bus and took the driver into custody, he said.

State Public Works Department Minister Rakesh Singh expressed anguish over the bus accident and spoke to the Jabalpur collector. He asked him to ensure proper treatment for the injured persons. PTI COR MAS GK