Bihar: 48 kanwariyas injured in bus accident, four critical

The bus was travelling at a high speed and the driver lost control when a pickup van tried to overtake the bus and collided from behind.

At least 48 kanwariyas sustained serious injuries after the bus they were travelling in lost control and rammed into a roadside tree on Wednesday morning in Bihar’s Sheikhpura district. Four of them are critical and have been referred to the Vardhman Institute of Medical Sciences in Pawapuri (Rajgir).

Representational image.

The accident took place when the pilgrims, after offering prayers at Deoghar, Basukinath and Tarapith, were en route to Rajgir. According to the passengers, the bus was travelling at a high speed and the driver lost control when a pickup van tried to overtake the bus and collided from behind.

The injured passengers hail from Mishrolia and Sheikhparsa villages in Gopalganj.

The pickup van driver managed to flee from the spot with his vehicle, Kosumbha SHO Amresh Kumar Singh told HT.

The four critical passengers have been identified as Nirmala Devi, Subhash Shah, Devendra Yadav and Anshu Baitha. The others sustained injuries to their heads, waists, chests, legs and hands.

The highway connecting Bihar and Jharkhand was temporarily shut after the incident.