Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur

Jaipur, Aug 3: Three women from the same family were killed and 13 others injured after a Tempo Traveller carrying pilgrims collided head-on with a trailer truck near the Bobasar overpass in Rajasthan's Churu district on Monday, police said.

The accident occurred under the Sujangarh police station limits when the Tempo Traveller, carrying 17 family members from Kolkata, was travelling from the Salasar Balaji temple to Pushkar.

According to police, the trailer rammed into the Tempo Traveller near the overpass, crushing the front portion of the vehicle. The impact was so severe that three women died on the spot.

Local residents and passersby rushed to the accident site after hearing cries for help and informed the police. Rescue teams, assisted by locals, pulled out the injured passengers and the bodies from the mangled vehicle.

Sujangarh Sub-Divisional Magistrate Om Prakash Verma and Deputy Superintendent of Police Darjaram reached the spot and supervised the rescue operation.

The injured were shifted to Government Bagaria Hospital in Sujangarh, where several of them are undergoing treatment for serious injuries. Doctors are keeping them under close observation.

Police said all the victims were residents of Kolkata and had hired the Tempo Traveller for a pilgrimage covering major religious destinations in Rajasthan. The family had visited the Salasar Balaji temple and was travelling towards Pushkar when the accident occurred.

The bodies of the deceased have been kept at the hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination, and their relatives have been informed.

Traffic movement on the highway was briefly affected after the collision. Police later cleared the damaged vehicles and restored normal traffic flow.

A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.