A passenger bus en route from Patna to Jogbani met with an accident near Chikni village in Supaul district, plunging into a 20-foot-deep roadside ditch around 3 a.m. on Monday. Over 70 passengers were onboard when the bus lost control. Fortunately, most passengers escaped unharmed, with only about six women sustaining minor injuries.
Eyewitnesses reported that the driver, allegedly falling asleep, led to the bus veering off the road and into the ditch. The vehicle narrowly avoided an 11,000-volt power pole nearby, preventing a potential major tragedy. Following the accident, panic ensued inside the bus as passengers sought help, prompting local villagers to rush to the scene and rescue those trapped inside by breaking the front windshield.
Responding to the situation, a patrol team from Bhaptiyahi Police Station arrived at the scene to manage the aftermath. Injured passengers received immediate medical attention and were later transferred to their respective destinations on alternate buses. Local residents highlighted the common practice of long-distance buses operating with a single driver, emphasizing the need for adequate rest to prevent fatigue-related accidents.
Experts have recommended deploying at least two drivers on long routes to mitigate risks associated with driver fatigue. This incident follows a tragic road collision on the Delhi-Kolkata National Highway, NH-19, in Bihar’s Kaimur district, where a passenger bus from Jamshedpur collided with a trolley truck from Mohania to Sasaram, resulting in fatalities and several injuries.
