Ranchi/Deoghar: At least six Kanwariyas were killed and 29 others injured on Tuesday in two separate road accidents in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district, officials said.
The first incident occurred around 5.30 am near Jamuniya forest under Mohanpur police station limits when a bus carrying devotees collided head-on with a truck transporting gas cylinders. Six Kanwariyas died on the spot while 24 others were injured, Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Naman Priyesh Lakra said. Eight of the injured were shifted to AIIMS-Deoghar, while the rest were treated at Sadar Hospital.
Following the crash, the bus driver reportedly fell out, and the driverless vehicle rolled forward before halting after hitting a brick stack, Inspector General (Dumka Zone) Shailendra Kumar Sinha said. The bus was severely damaged.
In a second accident, five Kanwariyas from Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, were injured when their car was hit by a truck near Rohini Toll Plaza.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and Governor Santosh Gangwar expressed grief and condolences.
“The road accident that occurred in Deoghar, Jharkhand, is extremely tragic. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the devotees who lost their lives in this incident. May God grant them the strength to bear this pain. Along with this, I pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured,” the Prime Minister said on X. Soren said the district administration was conducting rescue and relief operations and providing medical aid to the injured.
The deceased included bus driver Subhash Turi, Suman Kumari (Gaya), Piyush, Vaishali, Durgawati Devi, and Janki Devi (all from Bettiah).
Health Minister Irfan Ansari announced ex-gratia payments of Rs 1 lakh for each deceased’s kin and Rs 20,000 for the injured. Lakra said the initial payments have been disbursed from the temple welfare fund, with victims of the Rohini accident to be compensated soon.
Meanwhile, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar declared Rs 2 lakh compensation for families of deceased Bihar residents.
Deoghar SDO Ravi Kumar said the devotees were en route to the Basukinath temple.