Kaimur: Three people have died and more than a dozen others were injured after a bus collided with a truck on National Highway 19 in Bihar’s Kaimur district on Friday, police said. The crash took place near Nashej under the jurisdiction of Kudra police station. Around 75 passengers were travelling on the bus at the time of the incident.
Two of the deceased have been identified as 10-year-old Dikshita Kumari, the daughter of a Varanasi resident, and Abha Rani, the wife of Arun Kumar. The identity of the third victim has yet to be confirmed. Police said the injured were rushed to a nearby private clinic shortly after local officers and rescue workers reached the scene.
Passengers said the bus was travelling from Jamshedpur to Varanasi and had stopped at a roadside hotel for tea shortly before the collision. Buddhi Sagar Pandey, a passenger on board, said the bus had covered only about three kilometres after the halt when a truck from the opposite direction allegedly crossed the central divider and entered the wrong lane. “The impact was massive. The rear portion of the bus was completely damaged,” he said.
Assistant sub-inspector B N Upadhyay of Kudra police station confirmed that preliminary investigations suggest the truck was being driven on the wrong side of the highway. The vehicle has been seized, but the driver fled the scene and remains absconding. A search operation is under way, and further investigation is ongoing.
Among those injured are passengers from West Bengal, Patna and Ranchi. Officials said several victims suffered serious injuries and are undergoing treatment. Inquest proceedings have been completed and the bodies sent for postmortem examination, while families of the deceased have been informed.
The crash once again highlights concerns over traffic violations and road safety on India’s national highways. Authorities have urged motorists to adhere strictly to traffic rules to prevent further tragedies.
