Seven people died and over 40 were injured after a bus toppled sideways after colliding with a truck and came under a loaded goods carrier on the Lucknow-Gorakhpur Highway in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, officials said as quoted by news agency PTI. The report stated citing officials that the accident took place late in the evening when the private bus coming from Ayodhya was negotiating a turn on the highway to move towards Ambedkarnagar.
They said that the bus collided with the truck coming from the opposite and the impact was so intense that the truck got overturned and the bus got buried under it, reported PTI.
Ayodhya Chief Medical Officer Dr Ajay Raja said, "So far, seven persons have died and more than 40 persons are injured in the road accident." As per PTI, he added that rescue operations are still going on.
Meanwhile, the district administration launched a rescue operation soon after the accident.
"More than a dozen ambulances have been deployed. We are evacuating those who are stuck in the crashed vehicle. The injured are being taken to the district hospital and medical college," District Magistrate Nitish Kumar told PTI.
He added, "Around 12 people have been sent to the hospital. 5 have been sent to the district hospital and 7 to medical college. Some casualties also occurred. The rescue operation has been completed."
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident, his office said in a tweet in Hindi.
"#UPCM @myogiadityanath Has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the road accident in district Ayodhya. Wishing peace to the departed soul, the Chief Minister has expressed condolences to the bereaved family members," the tweet read.
It further said, "The Chief Minister has directed the officials of the district administration to take the injured to the hospital immediately and provide them proper treatment and speed up the relief work. Also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured."