Sidhi (MP), Feb 16 (PTI) Many passengers are feared drowned after a bus fell off a bridge into a canal near Patna village in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district on Tuesday morning, police and eye witnesses said.

District superintendent of police Pankaj Kumawat said rescue operation was underway.

Sources said that at least 50 passengers were travelling in the bus at the time of the incident which occurred around 8:30 AM.

According to eye witnesses, the bus has sank in the canal and not visible now. It is feared that the bus was swept away in the water current.

At least seven persons swam to the banks of the canal while others are missing, they said.

Further details are awaited.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)