At least 15 people were killed and 40 others injured after a bus slammed into a stationary truck on a highway in India’s Madhya Pradesh.
Nearly 100 passengers, mostly workers heading home for Diwali, were aboard the bus travelling to Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, when the accident occurred near the city of Rewa late on Friday, private broadcaster NDTV reports.
Passengers with serious injuries are being treated at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Rewa, while others received first aid at a local hospital in Suhagi, according to officials.
The truck was parked on the highway following a collision with another truck, officials said, adding that the bus rear-ended the vehicle afterwards.
Most people on the bus were workers from Uttar Pradesh, who had boarded the vehicle from Madhya Pradesh's Katni to head home for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, according to Rewa Superintendent of Police Navneet Bhasin.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees each for the families of those who died in the accident. Passengers who suffered serious injuries will be given 50,000 rupees each, reports bdnews24.com citing NDTV.
President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed condolences over the loss of lives in the accident via Twitter.
