Tragedy Strikes MCB District

Six people, including four women, lost their lives and 40 others sustained injuries in a severe road accident on Thursday when a passenger bus collided with a roadside tree in Chhattisgarh's Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur (MCB) district.

According to local law enforcement, the mishap occurred shortly after noon near the Semarmathani turn. The bus, carrying 46 passengers, was travelling from Manendragarh towards Kelhari village when the tragedy struck.

Investigation and Casualties

Superintendent of Police Ratna Singh stated that preliminary findings, based on accounts from surviving passengers, suggest the driver lost control of the vehicle before veering off the road and crashing into the tree.

"Six persons, including four women, died in the accident, while around 20 others, including the driver, sustained serious injuries. Twenty other passengers sustained minor wounds," SP Singh confirmed.

Emergency response teams swiftly moved the injured to medical facilities. Four of the critically injured passengers have been transferred for advanced care—two to a hospital in Ambikapur (Surguja district headquarters) and two to the district hospital in Chirmiri. The remaining injured passengers are receiving treatment at the Civil Hospital in Manendragarh. Authorities have announced that an FIR will be registered and a thorough investigation will be conducted to determine accountability.

Government Response and Relief

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed deep anguish over the fatal incident. Taking to social media platform X, he conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.

"The untimely demise of 6 people in a horrific bus accident on the Manendragarh-Kelhari road is deeply distressing. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this heart-wrenching incident," CM Sai posted.

Demonstrating swift administrative action, the state government announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each deceased individual and Rs 50,000 for each injured person. The district administration has been explicitly directed to oversee all necessary medical arrangements to ensure optimal care for the survivors.