6 killed, 9 injured as sleeper bus rams trailer on Rajasthan highway

Six killed and nine injured after a sleeper bus rammed a trailer on a national highway in Rajasthan’s Balotra; probe underway

Balotra: At least six people, including two minors, were killed and nine others injured on Friday afternoon after a sleeper bus collided with a trailer near Sarwardi village on a national highway in Rajasthan’s Balotra district, police said.

Six killed and nine injured after a sleeper bus rammed a trailer (Sourced)

Balotra Superintendent of Police (SP) Ramesh said that six people died at the spot, while those critically injured and have been referred to an advanced treatment centre.

According to Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ashok Kumar, the accident occurred around 4 pm when the bus was travelling from Jodhpur to Sanchore, while the trailer was coming from the opposite direction towards Jodhpur. The bus driver was attempting to overtake two vehicles ahead when the driver’s side of the bus struck the trailer, Kumar said.

Local police and administration teams carried out rescue operations. A crane was later used to clear the damaged vehicles and restore traffic flow.

Police have identified five deceased --- Narpat kumar (50) from Chitalwana, Naga Ram (38) from Sayla, Anusha (22) from Danta, Shivraj (3) and Yuvaraj (6), --- till now. All residents of Jalore district.

Principal Medical Officer (PMO) of Balotra Hospital Sandeep Dewat said that nine people were injured in the accident, of whom four in critical condition have been referred to Jodhpur for advanced treatment. Five injured persons are currently undergoing treatment at the Kalyanpur Community Health Centre.

The police have registered a case and begun questioning the trailer driver. “Preliminary investigations suggest that overspeeding and negligence may have contributed to the accident. The exact cause is still under inquiry,” an officer said.

Locals raised concerns about the repeated involvement of buses from the same travel company in recent major accidents. They have demanded a thorough investigation into the company’s operations, vehicle fitness certificates, drivers’ duty hours, and technical maintenance of buses.