A shocking tumble on the Banga flyover
In the early hours of Monday, a Volvo coach loaded with 41 tourists bound for Amritsar lost control on a flyover close to Mazari village and crashed onto the service road below. The incident, reported at roughly 4:40 a.m., sent ripples of alarm through the quiet town of Banga, Punjab.
Fatalities and the injured
Four passengers lost their lives in the impact. Among them were Josna George, a student from Kerala studying at Lovely Professional University, chartered accountant Vishal Rattu of Amritsar, and Aditya Gautam from Ludhiana. The identity of the fourth victim remains unconfirmed.
Sixteen travelers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals. Police later transferred the critically wounded to better‑equipped facilities in Banga. The remaining 21 passengers escaped with minor or no injuries and were escorted from the scene with their luggage.
Rescue effort and police action
Banga DSP Harjit Singh Randhawa led the first responders who arrived within minutes after the emergency call. Rescue teams pried open the wrecked bus, freed trapped passengers, and secured personal belongings. The injured were loaded onto ambulances and taken to medical centres, while the bodies of Josna George and Vishal Rattu were handed over to their families following post‑mortem examinations. The other remains are being kept at the Shivpuri Baba Gola mortuary.
Driver detained and probe launched
Authorities detained the driver, Vivek Kumar of Sharna village, Balh (Ratti) in Himachal Pradesh. A case has been lodged against him under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with investigators examining whether fatigue or other negligence caused the bus to veer off the flyover.
Police are reviewing CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts, and the vehicle’s mechanical condition to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the tragic plunge.
Aftermath and calls for safety reforms
The Banga community remains in mourning as families await further information. The crash has revived demands for stricter safety inspections of tourist buses and enhanced driver‑alertness measures on high‑speed routes.
