Daijiworld Media Network – Burdwan

Burdwan, Aug 15: Ten pilgrims from Bihar lost their lives and 35 others were injured after their bus rammed into a parked truck in West Bengal’s Burdwan town on Friday.

The victims, eight men and two women from Motihari in East Champaran district, were returning home from Gangasagar when the accident occurred on NH-19 near Phaguipur in Purba Bardhaman district. Six children were among the injured, who were admitted to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital.

Officials said there were 45 passengers on the luxury bus, which had set out from Motihari on August 8, visiting Deoghar before heading to Gangasagar.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the tragedy, announcing Rs 2 lac ex gratia for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for each injured passenger. He directed officials to coordinate with their West Bengal counterparts to ensure proper treatment for the injured and to arrange for the bodies to be sent back to their native villages in East Champaran.