Drunk bus driver swept away in floodwaters during rescue attempt in northern India
by Bhagyashree BarmanIn a tragic accident in northern India’s Rajasthan, a bus driver was swept away by strong floodwaters after a roadways bus was hit by a rushing stream at Tordi Sagar Dam.
The incident took place in Tonk district on August 6.
Visuals showed an SDRF jawan approached the driver with a rope, life jacket, and tube, instructing him to put on the life jacket and tie the rope around his waist while pointing to the front of the bus. However, the driver moved forward, placing his feet on the upper part of the windows, and without donning the life jacket, he impulsively jumped towards the tube held by the jawan. In an attempt to save the driver, the SDRF jawan, equipped with a life jacket and tube tied to a rope around his waist, tried to catch him. Unfortunately, the driver slipped away in the strong current and was swept away.
Despite the rains slowing down in the last 24 hours, the rivers and streams in the district remained in spate, leading to the horrific incident on Tuesday.
The roadways bus from Vaishali Nagar Depot was swept about 30 feet by the strong current while attempting to cross a flooded culvert. The driver, identified as 31-year-old Mukesh Kumar Balai, managed to climb on top of the bus to save his life. Locals spotted him and alerted the police and administrative officials. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team arrived for the rescue, but the driver’s actions led to a tragic turn.
According to reports, the driver was intoxicated and jumped towards a rescue tube without wearing a life jacket. Although SDRF personnel tried to catch him, he slipped from their grip and was carried away by the powerful current. The rescue team, along with other officials including SDM Kapil Sharma and Collector Dr. Saumya Jha, confirmed that the driver’s negligence and drunken state contributed to the mishap.
The SDRF team has been conducting a search operation since Tuesday morning to locate the driver, but after more than 13 hours, there has been no success. The administration believes that the driver’s failure to follow rescue instructions and his intoxicated state led to the unfortunate incident.
The bus, which was already off-route and repaired at an unknown location, was being driven towards Jaipur when it encountered the flooded road. The intense flow of water caused the bus to overturn and get swept away, resulting in the driver’s disappearance.