Volvo Coach Plummets from Banga Flyover, Killing Four and Injuring Sixteen

The crash that shocked Banga

In the early hours of Monday, a Volvo coach carrying 41 tourists on the Manali‑Amritsar route lost control on a flyover near Mazari village and tumbled onto the slip road below. The incident, reported at approximately 4:40 a.m., sent tremors through the quiet town of Banga, Punjab.

Casualties and injured passengers

The collision claimed four lives. Among the deceased 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 is still being confirmed.

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 site with their luggage.

Rescue effort and police response

Local law‑enforcement, led by Banga DSP Harjit Singh Randhawa, arrived within minutes of the first emergency call. Rescue teams forced open the mangled bus, extricating trapped passengers and safeguarding 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 after post‑mortem examinations. The other remains are being stored 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 filed against him under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with investigators examining whether driver 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

The community of Banga remains in mourning as families await further details. The tragedy has reignited calls for stricter safety inspections of tourist buses and for robust driver‑alertness protocols on high‑speed routes.