28 Dead as bus falls into canal in Karnataka, driver swims to safety

MANDYA: Twenty five people, including five children, were killed after a bus fell into a canal in south Karnataka on Saturday afternoon. Authorities fear the number of dead could go up. Around 30 to 35 people were travelling in the private bus. The accident took place in Mandya, 105 km from Bengaluru. The bus fell into the canal after the driver lost control, the police said. Many passengers could not escape from the bus as it fell to its side, trapping the doors on the floor of the canal. The bus soon submerged. The driver reportedly managed to come out of the bus and swam to safety. Farmers working in nearby fields started rescue work immediately and saved a few passengers. "I believe the driver was not driving properly... I will find out," Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara said. Visuals from the site of the accident showed locals using ropes to try and pull the bus out of the water body. The bodies of the victims were pulled out. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who will visit the site today, instructed the minister in charge of Mandya and the Deputy Commissioner to reach the site as soon as possible and oversee the rescue operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths. "Deeply pained the bus accident in Karnataka's Mandya. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. May God give them strength in this hour of sadness," he tweeted. Congress president Rahul Gandhi also shared his condolences on Twitter. "All the appointments of the Chief Minister have been cancelled for the day. An award ceremony that was to be held later in the evening has been cancelled till further notice," the Chief Minister's Office tweeted. Source: NDTV