Bus Carrying Pilgrims Overturns on Delhi–Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan, Several Seriously Injured

Pilgrim bus overturns on Delhi–Mumbai Expressway in Alwar; all passengers injured, several critical. Driver fatigue suspected as cause.

A bus packed with religious pilgrims overturned on the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan's Alwar district in the early hours of Saturday morning, leaving several passengers seriously injured and triggering scenes of panic at the roadside.

The accident occurred at approximately 6 a.m. near channel marker 139.600 on the expressway, within the jurisdiction of Raini police station. The bus, believed to have been carrying around 42 passengers, lost control and ploughed through the expressway's safety railing before tumbling into an adjacent field.

At the time of the crash, there were reported to be 20 women, 10 men, and 12 children on board. Most passengers were asleep when the vehicle veered off course. Many awoke to the sound of a loud impact, only to find themselves covered in blood. Chaos and screaming broke out as passengers struggled to free themselves from the wreckage.

Police, who arrived swiftly at the scene, worked alongside local residents to pull the injured from the badly damaged vehicle. Ambulances ferried the wounded to Pinan Hospital, where treatment is ongoing. Six passengers in a more serious condition were subsequently transferred to Alwar District Hospital.

Of those admitted to Alwar, four remain in a critical state: Geeta (63), wife of Harishankar, a resident of Sawai Madhopur; Lalita (57), wife of Omprakash from Gangapur City; Vimla (55), wife of Chharulal from Khandar, Sawai Madhopur; and Harishankar (62), son of Gulabchand, also of Khandar, Sawai Madhopur.

According to passenger Anil Kumar Goyal, the group was travelling from Shyopura in Madhya Pradesh to Govardhan to participate in a Bhagwat Katha, a devotional scripture recitation. The convoy comprised two buses carrying a total of around 80 pilgrims. Shaken survivors said they believed they had been spared by divine grace.

Preliminary investigations suggest the driver may have dozed off at the wheel, though police are continuing to look into the precise cause of the accident. Station House Officer Bane Singh Meena attended the scene personally to oversee relief and rescue operations.

Accidents on the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway in this stretch of Rajasthan have become a persistent concern for authorities, with this latest incident adding to a troubling pattern of crashes in the region.