9 pilgrims killed, 4 injured in truck–auto collision in Bihar’s Patna

Twelve pilgrims in an auto-rickshaw, travelling from Hilsa to Fatuha Triveni to take a holy dip in the Ganga, collided head-on with a truck: Police

Patna: Nine people were killed and four others injured in a head-on collision between a truck and an auto-rickshaw on the Daniyawan-Hilsa State Highway-4 in Bihar’s Patna district on Saturday morning, police said.

The head-on collision took place between a truck and an auto-rickshaw on the Daniyawan-Hilsa State Highway-4 in Bihar’s Patna district.

Twelve pilgrims in an auto-rickshaw, travelling from Hilsa to Fatuha Triveni to take a holy dip in the Ganga, collided head-on with a truck around 6 am near the Sigariyawan police station.

Five women died on the spot, while four others, including a man, died on the way to the hospital. Those injured were shifted to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for treatment.

“The victims were residents of Nalanda district and were on their way to Fatuha for a dip in the Ganga River. Concerned officials have been directed to implement safety measures to avoid road accidents on the state highway,” Patna superintendent of police (Rural) Vikram Sihag told HT.

The police suspect that the truck was speeding, lost control, and collided head-on with the auto-rickshaw. “The impact was so severe that the auto-rickshaw was shattered into pieces. Following the accident, the truck driver fled the spot with the vehicle,” said the SP, adding that a case was registered.

Patna district magistrate Thiyagrajan SM said, “People are being provided all possible help. As soon as the information of the incident was received, the police station, traffic police, and ambulance were sent to the spot. According to the information received, four people are injured. The injured have been sent to PMCH for treatment. The civil surgeon has been directed to keep in regular contact with the hospital superintendent and ensure proper treatment of the injured.”

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has expressed his deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the road accident in rural Patna.

Following the accident, local villagers blocked the state highway and disrupted traffic, demanding adequate compensation for the families of the deceased.