18 killed as bus plunges into river

Buldana (Maharashtra)  : ashtra state transport bus plunged into the Purna river, police said.

“So far, we have got details stating that at least 18 people were killed and as many others injured. The figures of those killed are likely to go up as some of those injured are critical,” an official told IANS.

The bus was on a regular Shegaon-Paturda service carrying around 45 passengers, including several school students, an official of Buldhana police control said.

Around 11 a.m., when it was negotiating the Khiroda bridge on the fast-flowing Purna river, it suddenly plunged into the swirling waters.

The district authorities immediately dispatched a crane and rescue workers for rescue and relief operations, and at least 20 passengers trapped inside the bus were pulled out, the official said.

Buldhana, famous for its crater created by a meteorite hit, the Lonar Lake, is situated around 550 km to the east of Mumbai in Vidarbha region.