At least 26 persons were killed and 15 others missing after a private bus fell into the swollen Barna river off a bridge in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh on Monday.
The bus belonging to Maa Gayatri Travels, carrying 60 passengers, fell off the bridge about 100 km away from Raisen when one of its tyres burst and the driver lost control.
So far, 26 bodies have been recovered from the river while 15 others are feared to have been swept away, police said.
The bus was on its way to Jabalpur from Bhopal. It was pulled out of the river in two pieces with the help of a crane, police added.
Twenty-one persons were admitted to the Bareily hospital while six were later sent to Bhopal as their condition was serious.
The driver is missing, while the conductor, Laxmi Prasad, sustained injuries as he jumped out of the bus, and is undergoing treatment at the hospital.
The Bhopal-based owner of the bus is absconding, police said.
Army divers from Bhopal were deployed to carry out the search in the river.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each for the families of the deceased, Rs 10,000 for the seriously injured and Rs 5,000 for those who have suffered minor injuries.
Nine of the deceased have been identified so far: Raja (16), Bulabai (50), Mahima (08), Sayed Afsar Ali (35), Karodi (30), Krishna Kumar (45), Rahul (22), Rajesh (25) and Radhelal (55).
