Angry residents attacked police vans and officials whom they accused of arriving late to the scene of an accident which killed 36 people in India's eastern state of West Bengal.

Bystanders rushed to the rescue when a bus crashed through a bridge and fell into a river in Murshidabad district.

A huge crowd which had gathered around the scene started to throw stones at the police when they arrived.

The police retaliated by using tear gas to disperse the mob.

Two officials from the fire brigade and one policeman were reportedly injured in the clashes.

The crowd is said to have overturned police vans and even set fire to two of them.

Locals told BBC Hindi the bus had had more than 50 passengers on board.

"Rescuers have retrieved 36 bodies so far," state transport minister Subhendu Adhikari told AFP news agency.

Nine passengers were taken to hospital, he said. Reports say a number of people are still missing.

The state has ordered an inquiry into the incident.</s>At least 36 people died in the accident in West Bengal, after the bus driver lost control and crashed off the side of a 10-metre high bridge.

The bus plunged off a bridge and into the river Bhairav. (Credit: ABC)

At least 36 people have been killed in India's West Bengal state after a bus with 55 passengers on board plunged into a river, a provincial minister says.

The state-owned road transport bus fell nearly 10 metres off a bridge into river Bhairav after the driver lost control, about 280 kilometres north of state capital Kolkata, West Bengal's Transport Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, said.

The bodies were recovered after six hours of rescue operations, he said, adding that survivors had been admitted to a local hospital.

The West Bengal Government has launched an inquiry into the incident and announced compensation of 500,000 rupees ($9,700) for each of the families of the victims.</s>Bus plunges into river in India's West Bengal state, at least 36 dead

At least 36 people have been killed in India's West Bengal state after a bus with 55 passengers on board plunged into a river, a provincial minister says.

The state-owned bus fell nearly 10 metres off a bridge into the Bhairav river after the driver lost control.

The accident happened about 280 kilometres north of the state capital Kolkata, West Bengal's Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari said.

The bodies were recovered after six hours of rescue operations, he said, adding that survivors had been admitted to a local hospital.

The West Bengal Government has launched an inquiry into the incident and announced compensation of 500,000 rupees ($9,700) for each of the families of the victims.</s>KOLKATA: At least 36 people were killed and 11 people still missing after a bus skid off Balighat Bridge and plunged into Bhairab river near Daulatabad in Murshidabad district of West Bengal on Monday.

The incident occurred at around 6 am on Monday morning when the Malda-bound state bus from Karimpur in Nadia district broke the railing of the bridge and nose-dived into the river.

“We have reports that 56 passengers were in the bus. Thirty six bodies have been fished out, of which there are nine women and two children. Fourteen of them have been identified. Nine people have been admitted to the hospital and 11 people are still missing,” Murshidabad district Trinamool Congress youth leader Saumik Hossain said.

While the nine survivors, who were able to swim to the bank or were rescued by local fishermen, claimed that the bus driver was speaking over the phone while driving, the state government said that the accident took place when the bus maneuvered left to escape head-on collision with the truck coming from the opposition direction.

The bus could only be located at around 3 pm after which four 140 tonne-cranes began pulling it up. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) sources stated that all the bodies stuck inside the bus were fished out by the evening.

However, they added that several more bodies might be lying on the river bed or may have been pulled downstream.

“Many window panes on the left side of the bus were broken. We suspect that many more bodies might have flown off the broken windows while descending from 30 feet height of the bridge into the river. Due to poor light on Monday evening, divers would commence rescue operation from Tuesday morning onwards,” an NDRF source said.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the spot by Monday afternoon and announced compensation. “The Murshidabad bus accident is a disaster and a result of human error. We will give compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh each to the critically injured and Rs 50,000 to the injured,” she said.

On the other hand, angry locals stone-pelted on police and set police vehicles and fire tenders on fire on Monday morning alleging late response in commencing relief operations. The district magistrate and superintendent of police reached the spot but had to flee after facing the locals’ ire. Police lobbed tear gas shells and fired bullets in the air to disperse the mob.

Local MP and West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Adhir Ranjan Choudhury said that the lives could have been saved. “Many people could have been saved had there been relief teams in Murshidabad district. I demand a full

 investigation into the accident,” he said.

However, transport minister Suvendu Adhikari claimed that the rescue operations began on time. “The bus had drowned so deep into the river that it could not be located initially. The relief operations began within one hour of the incident,” he said. Some locals also stated that the condition of the bridge was dilapidated and an accident was in the offing.</s>At least 36 people were killed in India's West Bengal state when a bus with 55 passengers on board plunged into a river early on Monday, a provincial minister said.

The state-owned road transport bus fell 30-feet into river Bhairav off a bridge after the driver lost control, about 280 km(175 miles) north of state capital Kolkata, West Bengal's Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari said.

The bodies were recovered after six hours of rescue operations, he said, adding that survivors had been admitted to a local hospital.

The West Bengal government has launched an inquiry into the incident and announced compensation of 500,000 rupees ($7,865) for each of the families of the victims.</s>At least 36 people were killed in eastern India's West Bengal state early Monday after a speeding passenger bus swerved off a bridge and plunged into a river, police said.

Initial investigations and eyewitness accounts said the bus driver, who also died in the accident, lost control while trying to overtake another vehicle on the bridge.

The bus crashed into the bridge's side railing before plummeting 12 meters (40 feet) into the local Bhairav river.

"Rescuers have retrieved 36 bodies so far. Nine passengers have been hospitalized," state's transport minister Subhendu Adhikari told AFP.

Rescue workers believe that there were more than 50 passengers on the bus at the time of the accident.

The rescue work at the accident site in Murshidabad district, around 187 miles (300 kilometers) from the state capital Kolkata, was ongoing late Monday evening.

"We fear that some of the passengers were swept away as glass windows of the vehicle broke (on impact)," Adhikari said.

The victims include at-least nine women and four children.

The bus lay submerged on the riverbed till emergency workers dragged it to a riverbank.

The rescue workers then used steel cutters to cut open the mangled vehicle and retrieve victims' bodies.

At least 32 people were killed in another road accident after a bus plunged into a river in western Rajasthan state this December.

India has some of the world's deadliest roads.

More than 150,000 people are killed each year with most accidents blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.</s>[India], Jan 29 (ANI): A passenger bus fell off a bridge into Bhairab River in Daulatabad area of West Bengal's Murshidabad on Monday.

The incident took place due to low visibility.

The bus was travelling from Domkal to Berhampur.

Locals of the area helped in the rescue of 10 people.</s>KOLKATA: Two dead bodies were recovered while more than 50 people are feared trapped inside a bus that skid off Balighat Bridge and plunged into the Bhairab river at Daulatabad in Murshidabad district of West Bengal on Monday morning.

The incident occurred between 5.30 am and 6 am on Monday morning when the Baharampur-bound bus from Domkal in the district broke the railing of the bridge and nose-dived into the river. Even after four hours of the incident, only seven people were rescued alive and two dead bodies were fished out. The trapped 50 people are feared dead due to the time it is taking to fish out the bus. The bus was located by 10.30 am and two 140 tonne heavy duty cranes started the rescue operation.

“Many people are feared dead as the passengers are trapped inside the bus for more than four hours. Most of the people might not be saved due to lack of relief teams in Murshidabad district. I demand a full investigation into the accident,” said Baharampur MP and West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Adhir Ranjan Choudhury.

Alleging lax rescue operations, locals expressed their ire by stone-pelting on police and setting police vehicles, fire tenders and cranes on fire. The district magistrate and superintendent of police reached the spot but had to flee after facing the locals’ ire. Police fired bullets in the air, tear gas shells and undertook lathi-charge to disperse the mob.

Lakhs of local residents have lined up on both sides of the river to attempt to rescue the victims.

“The bus plunged so deep into the river that it could not be located initially. The relief operations have begun. The state government is with the families of the victims and we will conduct inquiry into the matter. The accident occurred after the bus skid while trying to maneuver an incoming truck. We are reaching the spot. chief minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her grief over the incident,” transport minister Suvendu Adhikari said.

The local agitation has further hampered the rescue operations. National Disaster Response Force has been summoned from Kolkata, which is more than 200 km from the accident spot.</s>Kolkata: At least 36 people were killed after a packed bus crashed through the railing of a bridge and fell into a canal in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Monday morning.

The accident occurred at Balirghat under the Daulatabad police station area around 6 am when the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) bus was going from Shikarpur in Nadia district to Malda, police said.

“Bus has been lifted, total 36 dead bodies were fished out. For the time being, we have wind up the rescue operation but search will be carried out again tomorrow “, SP Murshidabad Mukesh Kumar told reporters.

As per officials the death includes two children.

Alleging delay in rescue operations, angry local people set a police vehicle on fire and vandalised two others. Police lobbed tear gas shells and also resorted to lathicharge to control the situation.

Terming the incident as “sad”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for the next of the kin of the deceased.</s>Thirty-six people were killed and several were missing after a bus with around 50 passengers crashed through a bridge railing and plunged into a canal in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Monday, police said.

Eight injured passengers were admitted at the Baharampur Medical College and Hospital. The Malda-bound public transport bus fell off the Nalini Buske bridge into the Gobra canal in Balirghat area around 6 a.m. The bus was partially fished out of the canal by deploying cranes, with hundreds od villagers as also anxious relatives of the passengers gathered on the canal banks.

“Two bodies were found floating in the canal. Later, 34 more people were found dead after the bus was partially lifted from the canal and rescuers managed to enter and extricate the bodies,” said a civic official. The dead included two children. Seven bodies have been identified, the police said.

Rescue operations are on. The bodies were being sent to the Baharampur Medical College and Hospital for post mortem.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the spot along with Transport Minister Subhendu Adhikari and announced a compensation of Rs five lakh each to the bereaved families. She visited the hospital and spoke to the doctors about the condition of the victims.

She also spoke to some of the injured and assured their kin of the best possible treatment. She announced compensation of Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh for the injured. An injured said close to 50 people were in the ill-fated bus that was coming from Shikarpur in Nadia district.

Earlier in the day, angry locals pelted police with stones and torched two police vehicles, accusing them of arriving late for rescue operations. Stones were hurled at a fire tender that was sent there to put out the fire.

Police lobbed teargas shells and baton-charged the protesters. Primary investigation suggests the driver lost control of the vehicle, the police said.
A bus plunges into the Bhairab River after falling off a bridge in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India, killing at least 36 people. The late response by rescuers to save passengers leads to violence between local residents and police.