Bus Owned By BJP Leader’s Brother With Expired Papers Crashes, Kills 13

Thirteen people have died, and 18 were injured, after a privately-owned bus burst into flames after it collided with a truck in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna last night. The bus is registered in the name of Bhanu Pratap Sikarwar – the brother of former BJP district vice president Vishwanath Sikarwar. The bus had expired fitness and insurance certificates, and the road tax had not been paid since 2021.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav called it a “heart-breaking incident” and said he had ordered a probe. He vowed “strict action” against those responsible. “I am in constant contact with the District Collector and SP (Superintendent of Police). I am visiting Guna right now,” he said.

“We will try to ensure such an incident does not happen again. I have ordered an inquiry. We are trying to find out information about the permit of the bus and how the accident occurred.”

The state has suspended a Transport Department official and the Chief Medical Officer of Guna district for alleged negligence. Mr Yadav also expressed his condolences to the families of those killed, and ordered compensation of ₹ 4 lakh each to those families and ₹ 50,000 to each of those injuried.

Police said the bus was travelling from Guna to Aron, which are about 40 km apart. Carrying about 30 passengers, and a driver and conductor, it set off at 8 pm. The collision took place at 8.30 pm.

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The bus overturned and exploded into flames after the collision, police officials said.

“It crashed into the dumper truck at top speed. We recovered 12 bodies from the scene (and) 14 injured passengers were rushed to the district hospital,” Guna police official Vijay Kumar Khatri said.

A thirteenth body – believed to be the driver – was recovered after the fire was put out.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, a former Guna Lok Sabha MP, called the accident “painful”.

“Soon after getting information about the incident, I spoke to the collector and SP and directed them to start a relief and rescue operation,” he said.