Ranchi: Three passengers of a bus, including a woman, were instantly killed, and over 50 others injured when their vehicle flipped on its side in Sikidiri valley in Ramgarh, around 45km from Ranchi, on Saturday afternoon, barely two days after a motorcyclist fatally collided with an oil tanker in the same area.

The private long-distance bus named Sumit had been bound for Bokaro (Phusro via Kathara) from Ranchi with 60 passengers on board when the driver lost control while negotiating sharp bends on Sikidiri valley around 3.30pm.

The deceased are bus conductor Sikandar Yadav, a youth named Manoj Kumar who according to local sources played football in the Patratu Thermal Power Station team, and a middle-aged woman, whose identity had not yet been identified.

At the time this report was filed at 6pm, 22 critically injured victims had been rushed to RIMS in Bariatu, over 40km from the valley mishap spot near Kenjia village under Rajrappa thana area of Ramgarh.

Unconfirmed sources said another person had died but police did not confirm it.

A police source said they were extremely busy in rescue work as well as reuniting the injured with anxious family members who heard the news and trying to inform those who had not heard as yet.

Rajrappa OC S.P. Singh said, "It cannot be ruled out that the bus driver was speeding on sharp curves down the slope. The bus probably overturned after hitting a rock."

OC Singh said personnel of adjoining Gola police station were also assisting them.

"Those with minor injuries are being treated at the Gola community health centre," he said. "The bus has been pushed to the side."

Traffic on the stretch resumed after 6.15pm.

In Ranchi, one Jitendra Agrawal from Chutia said he received a call from his father-in-law's phone that the elderly couple in the bus had suffered minor injuries. "I am on my way to Gola," he said.

A source who stays near the valley said the stretch was extremely risky with "eight deaths in the past one month". "We need traffic police on this stretch. Also, small speed breakers at regular intervals will be better instead of a big speed breaker that could cause vehicles to topple over," he said.