As many as 11 people, including two children, died after a car collided with a bus at Jhallar in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh on Friday. According to the police officials, it was a sports utility vehicle that collided with the bus.
The accident occurred on Bhainsdehi road, about 36 km from the district headquarters, Betul police control room assistant sub-inspector Shivraj Singh Thakur told PTI.
"Six men, three women, a girl aged around five years, and a toddler died on the spot in the accident that took place around 2 am," he said.
The deceased were labourers, who were returning home from Amravati, Maharastra, the police said.
The severity of the accident was such that the bodies of some of the victims had to be from the mangled remains of the SUV with the help of gas cutters, Thakur told PTI.
According to the police, the preliminary investigation revealed that the SUV rammed into the bus after the driver dozed off. The bodies were later sent for post-mortem.
The police have registered a case and the investigations are underway.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in Betul and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to next of kin of the deceased.
"Pained by the loss of lives due to an accident in Betul, MP. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF would be given to the next of the kin of each deceased. Rs 50,000 would be given to the injured," PM tweeted.
