Twelve people, including atleast seven children, died after a speeding truck rammed into a religious procession in Bihar's Vaishali district on Sunday evening.
According to officials, the incident happened around 9 pm in Desri police station limits in the north Bihar district. The people had gathered in front of a peepal tree on the roadside to offer prayers to a local deity Bhumiya baba when the truck ploughed them down.
According to local MLA Mukesh Roushan of RJD, at least nine people were killed on the spot, and three succumbed to the injuries on their way to the hospital. Many others have been taken to the Sadar hospital at Hajipur (the district headquarters) and those whose conditions are critical are being referred to hospitals in Patna.
Meanwhile, reports said the procession was taken out as part of a custom associated with marriages. Vaishali Superintendent of Police Manish Kumar told PTI that a wedding was scheduled in a few days at the house of a resident of Sultanpur village nearby.
"The driver of the truck speeding through the adjacent Mahnar-Hajipur highway lost control," he added. The driver has been rescued from the mangled vehicle and arrested, a senior police officer said on Monday. He has been admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and efforts were underway to ascertain his identity. His condition is said to be stable.
Locals claimed that the deceased included at least seven children.
Immediately after the accident, the area witnessed heartbreaking scenes as relatives of the deceased gathered on the road, wailing for their loved ones. Chaos prevailed after some alleged that the police reached the scene after much delay.
"We have summoned personnel from a number of adjoining police stations to speed up the rescue work and keep the law and order situation under control," he added.
PM announces ex-gratia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the deceased and a compensation of Rs 50,000 to the injured.
"The accident in Vaishali, Bihar is saddening. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the PM said on Twitter.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the accident and directed the district administration to ensure proper treatment to those who have been injured and speedy disbursement of ex-gratia, as per norms, among the next of kin of each deceased.
(With inputs from PTI)
