Gujatat: Nine die as bus rams into SUV in Navsari; PM announces ex-gratia

Nine people were killed in a road accident in the Navsari district of Gujarat on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia to the kin of ther deceased.

Navsari (Gujarat):Hours after nine persons lost their lives in a disastrous accident in Navsari in the wee hours on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the loss of lives and announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia to the kin of each deceased and Rs 50000 for the injured. The accident happened when a Valsad-bound luxury bus collided head-on with a speeding SUV coming from the opposite direction Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway near Vesma village in the Navsari district of Gujarat.

Police said that a preliminary investigation has revealed that the accident took place when the driver of the bus suffered a massive heart attack and he lost control of the vehicle. The bus then rammed into the speeding car coming from the opposite direction. The eight people inside the SUV died in the accident.

“Nine persons were killed and nearly 25 others were injured after a sports utility vehicle (SUV) rammed into a luxury bus at Navsari district in Gujarat in the wee hours of Saturday. The accident occurred on a national highway near Vesma village when the Valsad bus hit the SUV coming from the opposite direction”, Navsari Superintendent of Police (SP) Rushikesh Upadhyay said.

Expressing his heartfelt condolences for the deceased and wishing speedy recovery of the injured, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted "The road accident in Navasari, Gujarat is heart-wrenching. I express my condolences to those who have lost their family members in this tragedy. May God give them the strength to bear the sorrow. The local administration is providing immediate treatment to the injured, I pray for their speedy recovery."

According to official sources, the 30 people inside the bus were all residents of Kolak village in Valsad who were returning Swami Nagar near Ahmedabad. The car on the other hand was coming from Bharuch. “There were 30 people inside the bus and eight people in the car. The bus didn’t suffer much damage but the car was reduced to a mangled heap of metal,” police said.

“The injured passengers of the bus were taken to Navsari Civil Hospital and later 17 people with serious injuries were shifted to a private hospital at Valsad and eight others are being treated at Navsari. One person from the car was shifted to a private hospital in Surat. His condition is reported to be critical,” police added.

The District Superintendent of Police and the District Additional Collector reached the spot and Civil Hospital. They are personally overseeing the rescue operation and the medical facilities provided to the injured.

Meanwhile, the bus passengers were from Valsad and were returning home after visiting the BAPS sect event in Ahmedabad. There were a total of 30 passengers on the bus, of which 25 were injured.