MIRPURKHAS: Three children and a man were killed and 13 others of a family were injured when an overcrowded coach overturned near Nabisar More close to Jhuddo on Friday.

The coach driver tried to take a detour along a mud road in order to avoid a protest by growers which was under way at Nabisar More on main Mithi-Jhuddo highway but lost control of the bus because of uneven surface and the vehicle overturned.

Marya Bheel, 12, Chaman Bheel, 7, and Revolo, 5, died instantly while 13 other passengers, including Qammo Bheel, father of Marya, Shanti, Kori, Dahi, Pomio, Momal, Safori, Bemo, Harjan, Reshma, Doulat and Gulab suffered injuries.

Area people rushed to rescue the passengers and Edhi ambulances shifted the injured and the bodies to a nearby rural health centre.

People who had gathered outside the centre after the accident became enraged over lack of medical facilities and ransacked its furniture and other instruments.

Qammo Bheel, Shanti, Kori and Dahi who had suffered serious injuries were referred to LUMHS Hyderabad but Qammo died on his way to Hyderabad.

The other injured were then admitted to the rural health centre.

All the victims belonged to a family who were migrating from drought-affected Jangri village in Mithi taluka to irrigated areas to work as farm workers.

According to sources, Jhuddo assistant commissioner Kabeer Rajar has held the officials of irrigation department responsible for the accident.

The official said that tail-end growers of Buggi minor had been protesting at the Jhuddo-Mithi road for the past two days but no irrigation official bothered to go to them to hear their grievances.

Published in Dawn, August 30th , 2014