4 dead, 15 injured as truck hits bus in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur

The accident occurred around 4am on the Muzaffarpur-Motihari highway. Muzaffarpur SSP Jayant Kant said a bus carrying members of a wedding party was returning from Motihari to Gaighat in Muzaffapur when it broke down. It was hit by a speeding truck coming from the same direction

Four of a wedding party died and 15 others were injured when their stationary bus was hit by a truck on NH-28 falling under Panapur police outpost of Muzaffarpur district of Bihar early on Friday.

Representational Image. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The accident occurred around 4am on the Muzaffarpur-Motihari highway. Muzaffarpur SSP Jayant Kant said a bus carrying members of a wedding party was returning from Motihari to Gaighat in Muzaffapur. “The bus broke down near an overbridge and some passengers alighted to relieve themselves,” said the SSP, adding that the stranded bus was hit by a speeding truck coming from the same direction.

The driver and cleaner of the truck managed to escape and another truck on the highway overturned while trying to avoid collision with the other two vehicles.

A doctor on his way back from Motihari, Dr Gaurav Verma, informed the administration about the accident. He said he rushed five of the injured passengers to Maa Jaanki Hospital, Bairiya.

The SSP said passengers were stuck inside the mangled bus and the police and villagers had a tough time extricating them from the vehicle.

The deceased have been identified as Ramesh Tiwari, Abhinav Kumar alias Shanu, Mukund Kumar, and Dharmendra Kumar. Although the cause of the accident has not yet been ascertained, it is believed that the driver of the truck fell asleep at the wheel and lost control over the vehicle.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav have extended their condolences. The CM’s secretariat has directed Muzaffarpur officials to ensure financial assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured as per rules.