11 passengers including 7 women die as Maharashtra bus flips over in Gondia

NAGPUR: Eleven passengers including seven women died and nearly 25 were injured when a Maharashtra State Transport Corporation bus overturned near Bindravana Tola village on the Gondia-Arjuni road on Friday, police said.

The bus was headed to Gondia in eastern Maharashtra from Bhandara district 50km away when the accident took place. Eight people died on the spot, while three others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.

The accident took place at about 12:30pm when the driver lost control of the bus while trying to overtake another vehicle and the bus flipped over.

Visuals from the spot show a large crowd gathered around the overturned vehicle, with police vans, ambulances, and cranes deployed to assist the injured. Witnesses said the driver fled the scene soon after the crash.

Police said nine of the deceased have been identified as Smita V. Suryavanshi, Mangala Rajesh Lanjewar, Rajesh Lanjewar, Kalpana Wankhede, Ramchandra Kanoje, Anjira Kanoje, Arifa Azahar Syyed, Azahar Ali Sayyed, and Nayana Vishal Mitkar.

The injured passengers were taken to the government-run civil hospital in Gondia.

Caretaker chief minister Eknath Shinde expressed his condolences and directed the road transport corporation to provide immediate assistance of ₹10 lakh to the victims.

Devendra Fadnavis. deputy chief minister in the outgoing government, also offered his sympathies to the grieving families. “It is very unfortunate that a Shivshahi bus met with an accident near Sadak Arjun in Gondia district, resulting in loss of life. I pay my heartfelt respects to the deceased and share in the sorrow of their families,” he said in a post on X.

Fadnavis said the injured would receive immediate treatment and instructed the Gondia collector to arrange transfers to Nagpur if necessary. Senior administrative officials are currently at the site coordinating relief efforts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the families of each deceased victim. In a post on X, he said: “Distressed by the loss of lives in the bus mishap in Gondia, Maharashtra. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones. Wishing a swift recovery to the injured. The local administration is assisting those affected.”