Barwani, Oct 31 : A 63-year-old woman was killed and 54 fellow pilgrims were injured when their overcrowded bus overturned on a treacherous ghat section near Baigaur village in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district on Friday.

The deceased was identified as Suman Bai from Jamod village, while others were injured. Two of them are critical. The injured persons have been admitted to Khetia hospital, district hospital, and MY Hospital Indore, district collector Jayati Singh said in a post on X.

The bus, carrying devotees en route from Indore to Prakasha via Omkareshwar for the sacred Narmada Parikrama, lost control shortly after 8 a.m., police said. The vehicle somersaulted down the steep incline on the Khetia-Pati road.

Eyewitnesses attributed the tragedy to brake failure. 'The driver shouted that the brakes had given way,' recounted Dishan, a volunteer preparing meals for the group. 'Within seconds, the bus veered off, flipped, and rolled into the ravine.'

Local residents and officers from Khetia and Pati police stations mounted a swift rescue, using JCB excavators and two cranes to extricate passengers trapped beneath the wreckage. Villagers smashed windows to free the injured, many of whom suffered fractures, head trauma, and deep lacerations.

District Collector Jayati Singh confirmed that 30 pilgrims received initial treatment at Khetia Community Health Centre. Five with life-threatening injuries were transferred to District Hospital Barwani, while the two women passengers most critical cases'both with spinal damage'were airlifted to MY Hospital, Indore.

Pansemal MLA Shyam Barde rushed to the scene and supervised operations. 'Over 45 devotees were aboard, far exceeding safe capacity,' he told reporters. 'Had locals not acted with such courage, the toll would have been catastrophic.'

The ill-fated vehicle, registered to a private operator, had departed Indore at dawn. Authorities have impounded the bus and launched an inquiry into mechanical fitness and overloading.

Preliminary findings suggest the 56-seat coach was carrying at least 56 passengers, plus luggage.

/IANS