'Driver Fell Asleep...': Locals Recall Bus Crash That Killed 18 Kanwariyas In Deoghar
A bus carrying Kanwar Yatra pilgrims crashed into a gas cylinder truck and roadside bricks near Jamunia Chowk, Bihar-Jharkhand border, killing 18
News18
What began as a spiritual pilgrimage ended in horror on Tuesday morning when a momentary lapse by a bus driver cost 18 lives and left 23 others injured near the Bihar-Jharkhand border.
Around 4:30 am, a private bus ferrying Kanwariyas returning from their yatra to Baba Baidyanath temple rammed into a truck carrying gas cylinders near the Jamunia forest area under Mohanpur block in Jharkhand's Deoghar district. The driver, officials say, had dozed off at the wheel.
The impact was immediate and catastrophic. The bus driver died on the spot. But the worst wasn't over. With no one at the wheel, the vehicle hurtled on for nearly 500 metres, ultimately smashing into a roadside heap of bricks near Jamunia Chowk. Six more people were killed on the spot, and many others suffered grievous injuries. Eyewitness accounts and police statements suggest that the death toll may still rise.
'Almost everyone in the bus was returning after worshipping… The driver had probably fallen asleep, that's when all this happened," said Ramanuj Yadav, a local resident who witnessed the wreckage and helped with rescue efforts.
The bus, a 32-seater, was en route to Basukinath when the collision occurred. The truck it crashed into was transporting highly flammable gas cylinders, heightening the risk and panic at the scene. Fortunately, there was no fire.
Inspector General of Dumka Zone Shailendra Kumar Sinha confirmed the details and said investigations are underway. 'A bus carrying Kanwariyas collided with a gas-laden truck. Several of the injured are critical," he noted.
This tragic crash has cast a long shadow over the month of Shravan, a time otherwise marked by chants, devotion, and saffron-clad faith. For the families now preparing for funerals instead of welcoming their loved ones home, that devotion has turned into unimaginable grief.
view comments
First Published:
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Jury orders Tesla to pay more than USD 200 million in Autopilot crash case
Last Updated: Miami, Aug 1 (AP) A Miami jury decided that Elon Musk's car company Tesla was partly responsible for a deadly crash in Florida involving its Autopilot driver assist technology and must pay the victims more than USD 200 million in punitive damages. The federal jury held that Tesla bore significant responsibility because its technology failed and that not all the blame can be put on a reckless driver, even one who admitted he was distracted by his cell phone before hitting a young couple out gazing at the stars. The decision comes as Musk seeks to convince Americans his cars are safe enough to drive on their own as he plans to roll out a driverless taxi service in several cities in the coming months. The decision ends a four-year long case remarkable not just in its outcome but that it even made it to trial. Many similar cases against Tesla have been dismissed and, when that didn't happen, settled by the company to avoid the spotlight of a trial. 'This will open the floodgates," said Miguel Custodio, a car crash lawyer not involved in the Tesla case. 'It will embolden a lot of people to come to court." The case also included startling charges by lawyers for the family of the deceased, 22-year-old, Naibel Benavides Leon, and for her injured boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. They claimed Tesla either hid or lost key evidence, including data and video recorded seconds before the accident. Tesla has previously faced criticism that it is slow to cough up crucial data by relatives of other victims in Tesla crashes, accusations that the car company has denied. In this case, the plaintiffs showed Tesla had the evidence all along, despite its repeated denials, by hiring a forensic data expert who dug it up. Tesla said it made a mistake after being shown the evidence and honestly hadn't thought it was there. It's not clear how much of a hit to Tesla's reputation for safety the verdict in the Miami case will make. Tesla has vastly improved its technology since the crash on a dark, rural road in Key Largo, Florida, in 2019. (AP) NPK NPK (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Two men tied to tree, beaten for eloping with women
Vadodara: Two men were tied to a tree and mercilessly beaten with sticks by villagers in Panchmahal district's Shehra taluka after they allegedly eloped with two women with whom they were in a relationship. The video of mob justice in Tadva village began widely circulating on social media, prompting police to arrest 10 people. The villagers also thrashed both women present at the spot. The conversations in the video, which mentioned the holy month of Shravan and Dashama fasting, indicated that the incident had occurred recently. Police traced the viral video to Tadva and identified the accused, all of whom are residents of the same village. Some were tracked down with the help of informers. Deputy superintendent of police NV Patel said the incident occurred after the youths, who work in Mahemdavad in Kheda district, eloped with two women from their village on Tuesday. Relatives and other villagers located them and forcibly brought the four back to Tadva. Patel said 10 accused have been arrested, and the vehicle used to bring the youths back from Mahemdavad has been seized. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Female Athletes in the World Click Here Undo An offence was registered against the women's relatives and other villagers involved in the incident under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to wrongful confinement, kidnapping, unlawful assembly, rioting, and intentional insult among others.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Malayalam actor Kalabhavan Navas found dead in hotel
Kochi, Aug 1 (PTI) Malayalam film actor and mimicry artist Kalabhavan Navas was found dead in a hotel in Chottanikkara here on Friday evening, police said. The incident came to light when the staff of the hotel, where Navas (51) was staying for a film shoot, alerted authorities. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, police said. Police suspect he suffered a cardiac arrest. A versatile entertainer, Navas earned widespread acclaim as a mimicry artist, playback singer and actor in Malayalam cinema. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
