Car-bus collision claims 11 lives in MP

Betul: Eleven persons – including three women and a couple of children – died and one individual was injured when their car collided head on with a bus, which had no passengers, on Friday on the Betul-Paratwada road in this district’s Jhallar Police Station limits about 35 km from here.

“The smaller vehicle was carrying labourers returning from Kalambha in Maharashtra where they were present for the past 20 days. The deceased were identified as Mendha village-resident Lakshman Bhusamkar (30), Mahadgaon’s Kishan Mawaskar (32), spouse Kusum (28), Anarkali Mawaskar (35), her son Abhiraj (1), daughter Sandhya (5), Chikhlar’s Amar Dhurve (35), Mangal Singh Uike (37), Shyamrao Jharbade (40), his wife Ramkali (35) and Nandkishor Dhurve (48). The hurt driver has been taken into custody and admitted that drowsiness caused the incident,” SP Simala Prasad confirmed.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP state President Vishnu Datt Sharma expressed grief over the loss of life. Ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin and Rs 10,000 to the injured were sanctioned.