New Delhi:
Fourteen people were killed and several injured after a head-on collision between a bus and a truck on the National Highway 1 in Rajasthan’s Bikaner on Monday. The exact site of the deadly crash was an area near Shri Dungargarh in Bikaner. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to Twitter to express his sorrow over the loss of lives. “Extremely pained to know of the terrible accident on NH 11, Bikaner- Jaipur highway in which eleven people have lost lives. It is heart wrenching and my thoughts go out to all family members of the deceased. May God give them strength. Prayers for the injured,” Gehlot said on micro-blogging site.
Early reports suggest that the bus was on its way from Bikaner to Jaipur. The accident took place somewhere near Lakhasar village. As many as 10 people died on the spot and four succumbed to injuries in the hospital. The injured have been admitted to Bikaner’s PBM hospital.The impact of the crash was so severe that the bus overturned several times. Soon, the engine caught fire and the front portion turned into a black mangled remain of iron and steel.
A recent Road Accident Report said that the number of persons killed in road crashes in India touched all time high last year registering over 1.51 lakh deaths, an increase of nearly 3,500 more people losing their lives compared to 2017, with Uttar Pradesh recording maximum road deaths.
