NEW DELHI — At least 22 people, including three children and 10 women, were killed and 31 others injured when a passenger bus fell off a bridge in Oon police station area of Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. The bus was heading towards Indore

The NDTV quoted Home Minister of Madhya Pradesh Narottam Mishra as saying that 22 people were killed and 31 others were injured in the accident that took place at 8.40 a.m.

The bus heading towards the Indore city was carrying around 50 passengers. It fell from the bridge on a dry bed of the Borad River near Dongargaon village. The injured people were taken to nearby hospitals and a magisterial probe has been ordered into the accident.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed grief and offered compensation to the injured and relatives of the dead. Chouhan took to Twitter to express grief over the loss of lives in the accident.

Khargone Sub-Divisional Officer (police) Rakesh Mohan Shukla said that the bus heading towards Indore fell after smashing through the railing of the bridge on Borad River Bridge, about 34km from the district headquarters. He said that the river was completely dry.

Shukla said that at present the bus driver has not been traced. According to the preliminary information, it appears that he fell asleep on the wheel and lost control of the vehicle.

The bus turned turtle after falling down. Villagers pushed it back on its wheels and rescued the injured passengers, before police arrived at the scene.

District collector Shivraj Singh Verma, superintendent of police D.S. Yadav and other officers have reached the spot to oversee the rescue work.

The Madhya Pradesh government has announced immediate financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased, Rs 50,000 each to the seriously injured and Rs 25,000 each to those who received minor injuries in Khargone bus accident. — Agencies