Patna, July 15 : The Bihar government Tuesday ordered a probe into the death of 20 people, including 10 women and nine children, who drowned after the jeep they were travelling in fell into a large drain.
K.K. Singh, officer in charge of Alamganj police station, said the driver lost control of the vehicle and it fell into a drain near the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital around 3 a.m.
The victims were residents of Mahangupur village that falls under Patna district's Phulwari Sharif block, about 20 km from here.
"They were returning to the village after attending a wedding in Patna. They were related to the bride's family," Arvind Kumar, a relative of the victims, told IANS.
Official sources said the government had ordered a probe into the accident and would give compensation of Rs.100,000 to each of the affected families.
The search for more victims continued since Arvind Kumar said as many as 25 people might have been travelling in the jeep.
"The road was submerged under a foot of water due to heavy rain. Perhaps the driver failed to notice the adjacent drain in the darkness," Abdul Sattar, a local resident, said.
(IANS)
