Kota expressway horror: Eight killed, 15 injured as pilgrimage minibus plunges into 15-foot drain

Around eight people were killed and 15 others injured -- eight of them critical -- after a minibus carrying around 23 passengers veered off the road and plunged into a 15-foot-deep drain along the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan's Kota district at around 6 am on Saturday.

The accident occurred near pole number 384 on the Expressway. Authorities suspect the driver fell asleep at the wheel or felt drowsy, causing the vehicle to veer off the eight-lane road.

Emergency personnel immediately launched rescue operations. Mud and water accumulated inside the drain initially hampered their efforts, prompting authorities to deploy cranes to fish out the damaged vehicle and recover the individuals trapped inside.

Kota Rural Superintendent of Police Sujeet Shankar said most of the passengers belonged to extended families from Bhopal and Betul districts of Madhya Pradesh, and had set out on a four-to-five-day pilgrimage in Rajasthan. They began the journey from Bhopal on Friday evening, he said.

An injured passenger, Anshika, said she was travelling with her extended family, consisting of her uncles, aunts and other relatives. She said they departed from Bhopal at 7 pm on Friday and were headed for a darshan at Khatu Shyamji temple, when the accident happened.

There were around 23 passengers inside the vehicle, and most of them were asleep when the accident happened, Anshika said, adding that the driver must have dozed off.

The injured were rushed to the New Medical College Hospital (NMCH) and the MBS Hospital.

NMCH Principal Dr Nilesh Jain said treatment and required investigations, such as CT scans, were promptly initiated for the injured.

Dr Ashutosh Sharma, Superintendent of NMCH's Super Speciality Block Hospital, verified that the facility received 15 patients. Seven were brought dead, while eight others who were injured were immediately given primary stabilisation and comprehensive medical care, he said.

SP Sujeet Shankar said eight individuals lost their lives, while the rest of the passengers received medical treatment. Authorities are continuing to clear the site and verify details of the passengers, he said.