INDIA. Mumbai: Nine persons were killed and 29 others were injured when the bus going towards Valsad, collided with the SUV coming from the opposite direction, near Vesma village in Navsari on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in the wee hours of Saturday.
Of the nine persons travelling in the SUV (Toyota Fortuner), eight died on the spot along with the driver of the luxury bus. The driver of the bus reportedly suffered a heart attack and lost control of the vehicle.
The accident occurred at about 3.30 a.m., Navsari Superintendent of Police (SP) Rushikesh Upadhyay told the Transcontinental Times. “It took place near the Naaz Hotel. All the deceased were men. While the inquest into the death of the deceased is in progress, those injured have been admitted to a local hospital, where they are stable,” Upadhyay added.
Those travelling in the SUV were residents of Ankleshwar in Bharuch district (in Gujarat), and they were on their way back to their hometown from Valsad, Upadhyay said, adding that the passengers of the bus hailed from Valsad. Navsari is located about 251 km from Mumbai.
Expressing grief over the deaths, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased.
“Pained by the loss of lives due to a road accident in Navsari. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund( PMNRF) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. Those injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Union home minister Amit Shah expressed condolences to the family members of those who lost their lives in the accidents. “The road accident in Gujarat’s Navsari is heartbreaking. My condolences to those who have lost their families in this tragedy. May god give them the strength to bear the pain. The local administration is giving immediate treatment to the injured, praying for their speedy recovery,” Shah said in a tweet in Gujarati.
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