RESCUE OPERATION: An earthmover lifting the bus that fell off a bridge in Thane, Maharashtra, on Tuesday. — Photo: AP

THANE: Thirty-one passengers died when a bus they were travelling in fell from a bridge near here on Tuesday.

While negotiating a narrow bridge at high speed, the bus crashed through the parapet and fell about 25 feet to land on its roof on the bank of the rivulet below.

At least 20 passengers and the bus driver, Vasant Wagh, died on the spot.

According to an eyewitness, the driver was speeding and lost control while trying to avoid a motorcycle.

The bus was overloaded; it had around 80 occupants, said a volunteer, Sunil Khambe. It was a regular service of the civic body-run Thane Municipal Transport, between Kashimira town and Thane.

Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the Trauma Care Centre of Thane Civil Hospital where the dead and injured were brought.

Over 35 injured persons were brought to the Civil Hospital and were sent to nearby hospitals to avoid overcrowding. While nine passengers died at the Civil Hospital, two others passed away in other hospitals. The bus conductor, Sahebrao Suryavanshi, was among those who died in hospital.

Shabnam Hussein and her husband, Tanveer, who were married just four days ago, were on their way to visit a relative in Thane. Ms. Hussein is seriously injured. Her husband died in the accident.

The father of Nisha Mhatre, an expecting mother, broke down on seeing his daughter's body. Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil visited the Civil Hospital and announced ex gratia payment of Rs. 1 lakh to the next to kin of the dead and Rs. 15,000 to the injured. Several local leaders also visited the hospitals.

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