At least 6 killed, 40 injured as passenger bus crashes into tree in

Hindustan Times

22 October, 2026, 09:35 pm

Last modified: 22 October, 2026, 09:44 pm

At least six people were killed and 40 others injured after a passenger bus carrying 46 people crashed into a roadside tree in Chhattisgarh's Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur (MCB) district on Thursday, police said.

A bus carrying 46 passengers crashed into a tree near Semarmathani in Chhattisgarh's MCB district, killing six and injuring 40, police said.

The accident took place shortly after noon near the Semarmathani turn on the Manendragarh-Kelhari road when the bus was travelling towards Kelhari, a police officer said, adding that four of the injured were in critical condition.

Superintendent of police (SP) Ratna Singh said passengers told her that the driver lost control of the steering, following which the bus crashed into the roadside tree.

"Six passengers, including four women, died in the accident. Around 20 people, including the driver, suffered serious injuries, while another 20 sustained minor injuries," Singh said.

Police identified the deceased as Panchram (70), Madhu and Neha, all three residents of Rojhi village; bus owner Sipahi Lal from Kelhari; Sangeeta from Gudru village in Kelhari; and Sukaron (80) from Kelhari.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Manendragarh and Chirmiri. Two seriously injured passengers were referred to Ambikapur for better medical treatment, while two others were shifted to the district hospital in Chirmiri, police officers said.

Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the deaths and directed the district administration to ensure proper treatment of the injured. The state government will provide ₹5 lakh each to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 each to those injured, Sai said.

Police said an FIR will be registered and action will be taken against those found responsible after the investigation.