Three wedding guests killed as bus collides with truck in Bihar

Patna, May 10 (IANS) Three wedding guests were killed and several others injured in a road accident near Lodipur village in Bihar's Jehanabad district on Saturday,

The accident took place around 3 a.m. when a speeding truck collided head-on with a bus returning from a wedding procession.

The bus was carrying guests from Datmai village under the jurisdiction of Qadirganj Police Station, Patna, to Lal Bhasara village.

The deceased were identified as 14-year-old Prince, Chintamani Prasad, a native of Gaya and Ayodhya Prasad, hailing from Dulhiun Bazar, Patna.

All of them were sitting on the front seats of the bus and succumbed due to the impact of the accident.

The police said that the majority of the injured passengers sustained head injuries.

Seven critically injured passengers were referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) after initial treatment in Sadar Hospital, Jehanabad, while others were admitted to Jehanabad Sadar Hospital.

"We rushed to the scene immediately after receiving information and conducted rescue operations. All passengers were part of the wedding procession returning home," the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kadauna police station told IANS.

The accident has left the families of the victims devastated, many of whom gathered at the Sadar Hospital in distress.

"Among the seriously injured are the drivers of both vehicles. The toll may rise further," he said.

"We have sent the body for the post-mortem examination. The family members have said that they will cremate the bodies first and then lodge the FIR," he said.

"It is yet to be ascertained why the bus driver took the Jehanabad route when the wedding was in Patna. One theory is emerging that the driver, to avoid traffic jams due to heavy trucks, came to Jehanabad and met with an accident," the SHO said.

The investigation is currently underway.

--IANS

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