Kolkata, Aug 9 (IANS): Nine persons were killed on Tuesday in a road accident in West Bengal's Birbhum district after an auto-rickshaw in which they were travelling collided with a bus.
The driver of the auto-rickshaw has been admitted to a hospital in an extremely critical condition.
All the nine passengers -- mostly daily wage earners, were travelling by the auto-rickshaw.
A police team led by the sub- divisional police officer of Rampurhat, Dhiman Mitra had reached the spot.
It has been learnt that the collision took place near Telda village at Ranigunj- Moregram crossing on National Highway 60.
"The bodies of the deceased have been sent for autopsy," Mitra said.
The police are yet to identify the persons killed in the accident.
An eyewitness told the police the accident happened because the driver of the bus, which was over-speeding, could not apply the brakes on time.