Patna: Eight people were killed and four others critically injured in a road accident in Patna on Saturday morning when a Hiva truck collided with an auto-rickshaw. The victims, most of them women, were residents of Nalanda district.
The accident occurred near Sigariyawa station on Daniyawan–Hilsa State Highway 4 in Shahjahanpur. According to police, the impact of the collision was so severe that the auto was completely mangled. Seven passengers died on the spot, while one more succumbed to injuries during treatment at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).
The group of villagers had been travelling from Rera Malama in Nalanda to Fatuha to take a ritual bath in the Ganga. Panic gripped the area after the crash, as locals rushed to help the injured and alert the authorities.
Police have seized the auto but the truck driver fled the scene with the vehicle. An investigation has been launched, and officials are reviewing CCTV footage to trace the driver.
The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem examinations, while the injured continue to receive treatment at PMCH. Authorities have warned that the death toll may rise given the critical condition of the survivors.
