Two die as bus collides with stationary truck in Vadodara, Gujarat

Vadodara, Jan 30:  Two people were killed and more than 10 others seriously injured after a private bus collided with a stationary truck on National Highway-48 near Karjan in Gujarat's Vadodara district in the early hours of Friday, police said.

The accident occurred near the Dhavat Chokdi bridge when the bus, travelling from Aurangabad to Ahmedabad, rammed into a truck parked on the side of the highway.

Officials said the impact was severe, crushing the front portion of the bus and trapping several passengers inside.

At least two passengers died on the spot, while more than 25 people were reported to have been stuck in the mangled vehicle.

Teams from the Karjan fire station were rushed to the scene and launched a rescue operation. Fire personnel cut open the metal body of the bus to extricate those trapped inside.

The rescue operation continued for nearly one and a half hours, during which the injured and the deceased were pulled out using specialised equipment and improvised arrangements due to the extent of damage to the vehicle.

Karjan police, highway patrol units and 108 emergency ambulance services also reached the site shortly after the accident.

More than 10 injured passengers were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, with several reported to be in a serious condition.

Police said the bodies of the deceased were sent for post-mortem examination.

A police official said a detailed investigation had been initiated to determine the exact cause of the accident. “Preliminary information suggests that the bus collided with a stationary truck on the highway. We are examining whether negligence, poor visibility or other factors contributed to the crash,” the official said.

The accident led to traffic congestion on the highway for some time, which was later cleared, and normal traffic movement was restored.

In a separate incident reported from Rajkot district, two people were killed in a car accident on the Gondal-Atkot highway.

According to police, the car lost control between Mota Mandava and Mota Dadva villages and plunged off a bridge before overturning beneath it.

The vehicle immediately caught fire, leaving the occupants trapped inside. Firefighters from Gondal, along with police personnel, rushed to the spot and managed to douse the flames after considerable effort.

Following the operation, severely charred skeletal remains of two individuals were recovered from the vehicle.

Police said the intensity of the fire made identification impossible at the scene. An initial investigation was conducted, and efforts are underway to identify the deceased using the car’s registration and engine numbers.

--IANS