Children among 12 killed in Bihar truck accident; Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia announced

Twelve people, including atleast four children, died after a speeding truck rammed into a religious procession in Bihar's Vaishali district on Sunday evening.

According to officials, the incident happened around 9 pm in Desri police station limits in the north Bihar district.

The people had gathered in front of a peepal tree on the roadside to offer prayers to a local deity Bhumiya baba when the truck ploughed them down.

According to local MLA Mukesh Roushan of RJD, at least nine people were killed on the spot, and three succumbed to the injuries on their way to the hospital.

Many others have been taken to the Sadar hospital at Hajipur (the district headquarters) and those whose conditions are critical are being referred to hospitals in Patna.

Meanwhile, reports said the procession was taken out as part of a custom associated with marriages. Vaishali Superintendent of Police Manish Kumar told PTI that a wedding was scheduled in a few days at the house of a resident of Sultanpur village nearby.

Locals claimed that the deceased included at least four children.

Immediately after the accident, the area witnessed heartbreaking scenes as relatives of the deceased gathered on the road, wailing for their loved ones. Chaos prevailed after some alleged that the police reached the scene after much delay.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the deceased and a compensation of Rs 50,000 to the injured.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the accident and directed the district administration to ensure proper treatment to those who have been injured and speedy disbursement of ex-gratia, as per norms, among the next of kin of each deceased.