RANCHI: At least 18 Kanwariyas died and several others sustained injuries in a road accident in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district early Tuesday, police said.The accident occurred around 4:30am near Jamuniya forest under Mohanpur police station limits, when a bus carrying the Kanwariyas collided with a vehicle transporting gas cylinders, an officer added.Godda MP Nishikant Dubey expressed grief over the incident, stating, “In my Lok Sabha constituency of Deoghar, during the Kanwar Yatra in the month of Shravan, 18 devotees lost their lives due to a bus and truck accident. May Baba Baidyanath Ji grant strength to their families to bear this grief.”
“At least 5 persons were killed and many injured when a 32-seater bus carrying Kanwariyas collided with a truck transporting gas cylinders near Jamuniya forest in Mohanpur police station in Deoghar,” inspector general (Dumka Zone) Shailendra Kumar Sinha said.The number of casualties may rise, as the condition of several injured persons is critical, an officer said.He added that the district administration has been alerted, and the injured are being rushed to nearby hospitals and primary health centres.Over 3 lakh devotees turned up at Babadham temple in Deoghar on the occasion of the third Somwari during the ongoing Shravan month. (With inputs from agencies)