4 killed, 34 injured as MSRTC bus rams into truck in Nashik district

Nashik, Apr 30 (PTI) Four passengers, including a teenage boy, were killed and 34 others injured after a state-run bus they were travelling in rammed into a truck in Nashik district of Maharashtra on Tuesday, police said.

Nine of the injured persons are in a serious condition, they said.

The Maharashtra government announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the family members of each victim.

The incident involving the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus occurred close to Aher Vasti near Chandwad town in the district on the Mumbai-Agra National Highway around 9.45 am, they said.

"The bus was on its way to Nashik city from Bhusawal in neighbouring Jalgaon district when the left side of the bus crashed into the truck while trying to overtake it. Almost half the portion of the left side of the bus was damaged in the accident," a police official said.

"There were around 45 passengers in the bus. Four of them lost their lives in the accident, while 34 others were injured. The condition of nine of them is stated to be serious," he said.

The injured are being treated at the Chandwad government hospital and other private hospitals, the police said.

Two of the four deceased are men, while two others are a 14-year-old boy and a woman, they said.

Talking to reporters at the Chandwad hospital, state Tourism Minister Girish Mahajan Mahajan said the accident took place due to the negligence of the truck driver as even after giving some space to the bus, which was overtaking, he turned the truck to the right side. "As a result, the bus got sandwiched between the truck and the divider," he said.

"Of the 50 passengers in the bus, four lost their lives and almost all the remaining ones received injuries. If required, patients will be shifted to Nashik or even Mumbai for further treatment," he said.

Giving information about the financial assistance to the victims, he said, "As per the MSRTC rules, Rs 10 lakh aid will be given to the kin of the deceased. The seriously-injured persons will be given an assistance of Rs 5 lakh and other injured will get Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 lakh aid depending on the gravity of their injuries," he said. PTI