Bus mishap: Eight of 18 dead from Sitamarhi; CM announces ex gratia

Of the 18 migrant workers from Bihar who were killed after a speeding truck hit their bus in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh late on Tuesday night, the majority belonged from Runnisaidpur subdivision in Sitamarhi district

Of the 18 migrant workers from Bihar who were killed after a speeding truck hit their bus in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh late on Tuesday night, the majority belonged from Runnisaidpur subdivision in Sitamarhi district.

HT Image

According to the Sitamarhi district magistrate Sunil Kumar Yadav, his Barabanki counterpart informed him that eight of the deceased and nine of the injured were from Sitamarhi.

Yadav said a team has been sent to Barabanki to bring back the bodies.

“We were around 70 people who left from a bus stop near Haryana’s Ambala for Bihar. When the bus reached Hisar, the driver told them that bus had developed some technical fault and accommodated us in another bus, which was already crowded. Around 8 pm, the bus broke down and the driver informed us that the repair work will take time. Many of us came out of the bus. A few were sleeping on the road, while others were eating or resting,” said Fauni Sahni, a survivor.

Sanjay Mandal, a resident of Supaul, told HT over phone that he lost his father and a neighbour in the incident. “More than 17 persons had gone to Punjab and Haryana in June for sowing paddy. Around 10 from Supaul were in the bus when accident occurred,” he said.

Mantu from Sheohar said he was returning with his father Joginder and friend Dilip from Kaithal in Haryana. His father was injured in the incident while he himself fainted after the mishap.

Meanwhile, Bihar Governor Phagu Singh Chauhan and chief minister Nitish Kumar condoled the loss of lives.

The CM announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh to next of kin of each of the deceased.