Aurangabad: A passenger bus carrying around 20 passengers overturned on the Daltonganj road in Aurangabad city late Wednesday night. The accident occurred around 1 AM after the bus crossed an overbridge. The bus was en route from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, to Patna, Bihar, via Jharkhand. Approximately 20 passengers sustained injuries, with three, including the bus driver, reported to be in critical condition.

The sudden overturning of the bus caused chaos and screams among the passengers. Nearby residents, alerted by the loud crash, rushed to the scene and immediately began rescue operations, helping to extract trapped passengers. Most of the injured are reportedly residents of Aurangabad district. After initial treatment at the Sadar Hospital, the three critically injured individuals were referred to Jamuhar Medical College for advanced care.

Among the injured identified are Maharana Singh, Seema Kumari, Bablu Kumar, Satya Kumar, and Belmati Devi from Baghoi village; Vijay Tiwari from Bhairpur; Murtuza Ansari from Chhatarpur; and bus driver Bablu Pandey and Pintu Pandey. The bus had departed from Varanasi on Wednesday evening.

Local residents speculate that the bus may have lost control after colliding with a parked truck, though police have not yet confirmed this. The driver and co-driver of the truck are reported to have fled the scene, and police are actively searching for them. Nagar Station House Officer Baban Baitha arrived at the accident site with police personnel and, with the help of locals, transported the injured to Sadar Hospital. Sub-Divisional Officer Gaurav Singh also visited the hospital to assess the situation and ensure proper medical care. Police stated that the exact cause of the accident would be determined after a thorough investigation.