West Bengal: 36 dead, several missing as bus plunges into canal

The rescue operation was undertaken by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

IMAGE: ANI/ TWITTER

Kolkata: Thirty-six persons killed and several went missing after a bus carrying nearly 50 passengers crashed through a bridge railing and plunged into a canal. The incident happened in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Monday morning.

West Bengal: 24 killed after a bus carrying 50 passengers drowned in a canal while crossing Balighat bridge in Murshidabad; rescue operations by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) underway pic.twitter.com/iU5Z2ukhSy

— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2018

As per information, the primary investigation suggests that the driver lost control of the vehicle. The Malda-bound public transport bus fell off the Nalini Buske bridge into the Gobra canal in Balirghat area around 6 a.m. A compensation of Rs five lakh each to the bereaved families was announced by the state. ALSO READ: Malaysia’s censor board bans Bhansali’s 'Padmaavat' as it touches "sensitivities of Islam" Earlier in the day, angry locals pelted police with stones and torched two police vehicles, accusing them of arriving late for rescue operations. Stones were hurled at a fire tender that was sent there to put out the fire. Police lobbed teargas shells and baton-charged the protesters. Hundreds of villagers & anxious relatives of the passengers gathered on the canal banks as four cranes were pressed into service to fish out the bus submerged in the water. (with input from agencies)