Gujarat Seven Killed Over 20 Injured As Bus Rams Parked Truck Near Vadodara

lace around 4am when the bus rammed into the rear of a truck that had been stopped in the outer lane after its driver pulled over to inspect a tyre problem, said Vadodara (Rural) superintendent of police Sushil Agarwal.

Officials said the highway stretch is technically a four-lane road, but only two lanes are operational on that side, leaving limited space for vehicles to manoeuvre around a stationary truck occupying the lane.

SP Agarwal said all the casualties were from the bus, while the truck driver, who was outside the vehicle checking the tyre at the time of the collision, escaped unhurt.

“Of those taken to hospital after the crash, one later succumbed to injuries, taking the death toll to seven,” Agarwal said. He added that 19 injured passengers were being treated at SSG Hospital, while four others had been shifted to private hospitals by their relatives.

Most of the passengers on board were residents of Banswara district in Rajasthan, he said, adding that police were preparing a passenger manifest and had contacted the families of the victims.

The front section of the bus sustained the most severe damage. “Four or five deaths happened in the cabin itself, because people were sitting in the front,” Agarwal said, adding that the bus driver was among those killed. A passenger seated towards the rear of the vehicle suffered a head injury. He also ruled out any fire breaking out after the crash.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force, the fire department and the police carried out rescue operations through the morning to evacuate passengers trapped inside the mangled bus, Agarwal said.

Police are in the process of registering an FIR in connection with the accident, he added.