Six Kanwariyas were killed and 24 others were injured on Tuesday morning after a collision took place between a bus with passengers on board and a truck, loaded with cooking gas cylinders, in Jharkhand's Deoghar district, PTI reported.
The accident occurred around 5.30 am near the Jamuniya forest under the Mohanpur Police Station limits when the bus collided with the commercial vehicle, officials were quoted by PTI as saying.
"Six devotees were killed and 24 others injured in the accident at Jamuniya Chowk in Deoghar. Eight of the 24 injured have been shifted to AIIMS, Deoghar, while the remaining are undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital," Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Naman Priyesh Lakra told PTI.
Earlier, Inspector General (Dumka Zone) Shailendra Kumar Sinha told PTI that the accident occurred after the bus with Kanwariyas on board collided head-on with the truck transporting gas cylinders.
Following the collision, the driver fell from the bus and the passenger vehicle, without anyone behind the steering wheel, continued moving for some time and stopped after hitting a stack of bricks, the IG said. The bus was severely damaged, he added.
18 Kanwariyas lost their lives in the accident: Jharkhand MP However, MP Nishikant Dubey, in a post on X, claimed that 18 Kanwariyas lost their lives in the accident.
"Eighteen devotees have died in a bus-truck accident during the Kanwar Yatra in the month of Shravan in Deoghar in my Lok Sabha constituency. May Baba Baidyanath Ji give strength to their families to bear the loss," he posted on X.
However, the police confirmed that only six people lost their lives, while the condition of two others is serious. At least 24 Kanwariyas were injured in the accident and taken to various hospitals and nearby primary health centres, including the Saraiyahat PHC in Dumka, another officer said.
Casualties may increase as the condition of several injured is serious, he added. The district administration has been alerted after the accident, he was quoted as saying.
Jharkhand CM, PM Modi condole death of Kanwariyas
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren condoled the death of the Kanwariyas and said a rescue operation was being conducted by the district administration there.
"Very sad news has been received about the deaths of devotees travelling in a bus in an accident near Jamuniya chowk in Mohanpur block of Deoghar." "The district administration is providing medical assistance to the injured with relief and rescue operations. May Baba Baidyanath grant peace to the souls of the devotees who died in the accident and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this moment of grief," Soren posted on X.
Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar also expressed grief over the accident.
"The news of the death of many devotees in the bus accident while Kanwariyas were going to Basukinath from Deoghar is extremely sad and painful. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray to Baba Bholenath for the speedy recovery of the injured devotees," Gangwar posted on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday condoled the deaths, expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased and praying for the speedy recovery of the injured, the Prime Minister's Office said on Tuesday.
"The road accident that occurred in Deoghar, Jharkhand, is extremely tragic. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the devotees who lost their lives in this incident. May God grant them the strength to bear this pain. Along with this, I pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured," the Prime Minister's Office posted on X.
Deoghar Sub Divisional Officer Ravi Kumar said the Kanwariyas were on their way to the Basukinath temple. As per the Civil Surgeon, Deoghar, those who died included bus driver Subhash Turi, and others - Suman Kumari from Gaya, Piyush, Vaishali, Durgawati Devi, and Janki Devi from Bettiah.
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