35 dead in Bihar accident, Modi expresses grief

Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of 35 lives in a 50-seater bus's accident in Bihar on Monday. The bus was going from Madhubani to Sitamarhi when the driver lost control over the vehicle and it slipped off the road and fell into a pond, submerging it, a state Home Ministry official said. The accident occurred on Monday at about 1200 hrs near Basakha Chowk in Benapatti area, about 250 km from here, Basaitha village in Madhubani district, the official said. "In this accident, 35 dead bodies have been recovered from the pond. Rescue operation is being carried out by State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)," he added. Modi expressed his grief over the loss of lives, saying: "Deeply saddened by the bus accident in Bihar's Madhubani district." "My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief," an official statement quoted Modi as saying.