Passenger bus overturns in Kharagpur; 1 killed, 20 injured

A woman was killed and at least 20 passengers were injured after a passenger bus overturned in Kharagpur on Saturday morning. The accident occurred around 10:00 am on National Highway 16 in the Sankua area under Kharagpur Rural Police Station, causing panic among commuters and local residents. According to police sources, the bus was travelling from Amlashuli to the seaside town of Digha with nearly 70 passengers on board. The driver was allegedly attempting to overtake another bus at high speed when a tyre suddenly burst, leading to loss of control and the vehicle overturning on the highway.

The woman passenger died on the spot, while several others sustained injuries, some of them serious. Police personnel rushed to the scene immediately after receiving information and, with the help of locals, carried out rescue operations. The injured were shifted to Kharagpur Sub-Divisional Hospital and Midnapore Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Manoranjan Ghosh visited Midnapore Medical College to assess the condition of the injured. An official of the National Highways Authority of India stated that the accident occurred due to a race between two buses. Traffic on NH-16 was disrupted for some time but was later restored after the overturned bus was removed using a crane.