12 women among 13 killed in autorickshaw-bus collision in Gwalior
Gwalior: Twelve women and a man were killed after the auto-rickshaw carrying them collided with a speeding bus in Old Chawni area in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday morning, police said.
"The accident occurred at around 5:30 am when the women, who were cooks at an anganwadi kendra in Stone Park area under Old Chawni Ganga Malanpur locality, were returning home after work," Superintendent of Police of Gwalior, Amit Sanghi told Millennium Post.
"While eight women and the auto driver died on the spot, the other four succumbed to their injuries in a hospital," the SP added.
Passengers travelling in the bus escaped unhurt, a senior official said, adding that the driver of the bus fled the spot leaving behind the vehicle, which has been seized. The bus was on its way to Morena from Gwalior when the accident occurred.
It has been learnt that the women were supposed to travel in two auto-rickshaws after they finished cooking food at the Anganwadi, but as one of them developed a snag at the last moment, they had to travel in one auto-rickshaw, which met with the accident.
A probe has begun regarding the accident. Deputy Transport Commissioner A K Singh will head the panel. After getting the report, action will be taken against those guilty," Madhya Pradesh Transport Commissioner, Mukesh Jain told Millennium Post.
According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred when the bus driver turned the steering to save a milkman who suddenly fell on the road from his bike, and the bus collided head-on with the autorickshaw coming from the opposite direction.
Madhya Pradesh energy minister Pradyumna Singh Tomar reached the spot soon after the accident. No injuries were caused to the bus passengers, he said.
The victims were residents of Gole ka Mandir and Jaderua area in Gwalior.
Meanwhile, the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) of Gwalior, MPS Chouhan, has been suspended by the state government, an official said.
Expressing grief, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced an ex-gratia of Rs four lakh each to the kin of the victims.
"I and the people of the state are with bereaved families in this hour of grief. They should not consider themselves alone. The state government will give Rs 4 lakh to the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured," CM Chouhan, tweeted.
The deceased have been identified as Rachna Rathore (34), Sarita Rathore (37), Anita (37), Asha Rathore (45), Rajendri (40), Usha Jatav (37) Usha (45), Maya Devi (65), Harbobai (65), Munni Pal (55), Guddi (40), Laksmi (27) and auto driver Dharmendra Parihar (35), Additional SP Pankaj Pande said.
