35 dead as bus falls in pond in Bihar; PM Modi expresses grief

Patna: At least 35 people were killed on Monday when a 50-seater bus fell into a deep pond in Bihar's Madhubani district, officials said.

"So far, 35 bodies have been found and the bus was pulled out of the water. But search for missing passengers is still on," a district official said.

The accident took place near Basakha Chowk in Benapatti area, about 250 km from here. The bus was on its way to Sitamarhi from Madhubani.

District officials along with State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel were engaged in rescue and search of other passengers feared drowned, an official said.

According to police, more than 5,000 people from neighbouring villages gathered at the accident site. Angry over the alleged delay on the part of local administration to start rescue operations, a group of people staged protest and pelted stones at district officials, including the vehicle of the District Magistrate.

The state government has announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each victim.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the incident.