Death toll in Gujarat bus mishap rises to 41

Ahmedabad: The death toll in the mishap involving a Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) bus at Navsari in South Gujarat has climbed to 41, police said on Saturday.

Among the dead are 21 women, five children and 15 men, they said.

The Gujarat government announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the next of the kin of each of the deceased. The government will bear the entire cost for the treatment of the injured, Navsari Collector Ramiya Mohan told PTI.

Chief Minister Anandiben Patel will also visit Navsari this afternoon to meet the 27 injured, who are admitted in four different hospitals there, she said.

"Death toll has risen to 41 in yesterday's mishap where a Gujarat State Transport bus plunged into Purna river near Supa village," said Navsari rural Police Inspector and investigating officer in the case S B Sheikh.

According to police, the accident occurred when the bus took a sharp turn on a bridge with a width of 23 feet while trying to avoid collision with a four-wheeler coming from the opposite side.

"The bus was running at a high speed when it had to take a sharp turn to avoid collision with a vehicle coming from the other side and the driver lost control over the steering. It hit the railing of the bridge and broke it to plunge into the river," said Sheikh.

The bus was on its way to Ukai from Navsari last evening when it fell 20 feet down into the Purna river.

A total of 68 persons were travelling in the bus and of most of them were daily commuters on the route, Sheikh said.