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12 killed as truck rams into bus in Rajasthan; one arrested
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the “loss of lives” and approved an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of the dead and ₹ 50,000 to the injured
At least 12 people from Gujarat were killed and 15 others sustained injuries on Wednesday after a truck collided with a private bus parked on the Jaipur-Agra national highway-21 near Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, police said, adding, the accused truck driver was arrested later in the day.
According to the police, the incident took place around 5am on Wednesday, when the bus, carrying 57 passengers, was on its way from Gujarat to Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. The injured were taken to Raj Bahadur Memorial Hospital in the district.
In a related development, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot among other leaders expressed condolence over the accident.
Providing details of the accident, station house officer at Lakhanpur police station, Ram Avatar told news agency PTI that the bus had to stop near Hantara village, 20 km from the district headquarter, after its “diesel pipe was damaged”.
The driver got down from the bus to check the problem after which a few passengers also followed, the officer added. In the meantime, “a speeding truck coming from the Jaipur side rammed into the stationary bus from its rear side,” an official familiar with the matter said.
“ Due to the impact of the collision, at least 12 people, including five men and seven women were killed on the spot. Fifteen people sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospital, “ said the SHO. “The passengers who had got down with the driver remained unharmed in the accident,” the SHO added.
According to the police, as per the initial probe, “the driver was speeding and lost control of the truck, leading to the accident”.The accused truck driver who had fled from the spot after the accident was later arrested.
Confirming the arrest, the SHO said, “The accused was arrested almost 35km away from the accident spot . The truck involved in the accident has been seized. A complaint has been registered against the accused at Lakhanpur police station based on which a case has been registered under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.” The SHO said refused to share the identity of the accused, saying the “probe is still underway into the matter”. The injured are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bharatpur, the police said, adding that the bodies of the deceased were shifted to a mortuary.
Expressing condolence over the incident, President Droupadi Murmu took to social media site X (formerly Twitter) and posted: “I am deeply saddened by the news of a bus full of devotees going from Gujarat to Uttar Pradesh, meeting with an accident in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan and the death of many passengers. I express my condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the “loss of lives” and approved an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of the dead and ₹ 50,000 to the injured.
“The Prime Minister has condoled the “loss of lives” and approved an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each from PMNRF (Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund) for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the mishap in Bharatpur. The injured would be given ₹50,000 each,” read a post on the official handle of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on ‘X’. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot expressed grief over the deaths and informed that the officials from “police and administration are on the spot” and the “injured have been taken to the hospital for treatment”.
In a post shared on X in Hindi, he said, “The death of 12 devotees, who had come on a religious pilgrimage from Gujarat in Bharatpur, during the collision between a bus and a trailer is extremely sad. Police-administration is on the spot and the injured have been taken to the hospital for treatment. I pray to God to give peace to the souls of all the deceased and courage to the families. May God give speedy recovery to all the injured.”
Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar also shared his condolences over the incident. Taking to his official handle on social media platform ‘X’, Dhankhar posted, “Deeply saddened by the news of the tragic road accident in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. I express my condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured.”
