Tragedy struck on the Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border as a passenger bus plummeted into a ravine, killing five and leaving more than 20 injured. The Anmol bus, carrying devotees from Simdega’s Kurdeg to Kunkuri, met with disaster in the treacherous Kardega Ghati near Godaamba village.
What started as a routine journey turned fatal when the vehicle’s brakes gave way on a sharp decline. The driver fought desperately to control the speeding bus, but it flipped over, crushing passengers beneath its weight. Five succumbed at the scene, their bodies mangled in the twisted metal.
Chaos ensued as locals mobilized for rescue. ‘We used whatever tools we had—axes, ropes—to free those trapped,’ recounted a villager. Ambulances ferried the wounded: less severe cases to Kunkuri, while six critical patients raced to Ambikapur for emergency surgery.
The road blockade lasted over two hours, stranding hundreds of vehicles. Police dispersed crowds and restored flow, but not before the news spread like wildfire, gripping the region in fear.
This isn’t the first such horror. Recalling January’s Latehar crash that killed nine from a bride’s convoy, experts point to recurring issues: overloaded buses, faulty brakes, and unforgiving terrain. Officials inspected the site, vowing thorough investigation into the operator’s maintenance logs.
Families of the victims are in anguish, crowding hospital corridors for updates. Political leaders have promised aid packages, but survivors demand systemic change—better roads, mandatory inspections, and driver training. The death toll underscores a national crisis in rural public transport safety.