Transport Minister and MSRTC chairman Anil Parab has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of those killed in the Nashik accident on Tuesday.
"The accident near Nashik is very unfortunate. A compensation of Rs 10 lakh each will be given to the kin of the deceased, and free medical treatment to all the injured," Parab said.
The accident took place when the bus was on its way from Malegaon to Kalyan. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle after its rear tyre burst.
The speeding state transport (ST) bus collided with an auto-rickshaw, causing both the vehicles to fall into a roadside well in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Tuesday.
The impact of the collision was so severe that the bus dragged the auto-rickshaw along with it and both the vehicles fell into a roadside well, the official said.
A rescue operation with the help of police, fire brigade and local teams was on at the crash site, he said.
Both the vehicles have been pulled out of the water body, police said.
Meanwhile, the MSRTC, in a release late in the evening, said the bus driver was prima facie responsible for the devastating crash.
"It seems the bus driver, P S Bachhav, from Kalwan depot, was prima facie responsible for the accident, said the release.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has directed the administration to provide all possible help to the people injured in the accident, the state's Directorate General of Information and Public Relations said in a late night tweet.