Eleven persons were killed and 38 others injured after a bus hit a truck and caught fire in the district city of Nashik, Maharashtra in India. The death toll may increase as the condition of several wounded were very critical.
The accident took place on Aurangabad Road around 5 am early in this morning.
According to the report of the Times of India, a Pune-bound private bus carrying more than 50 passengers hit the fully-loaded truck at Nandur Naka and caught fire within a few minutes. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, the report added.
Maharashtra Agriculture Minister and Shiv Sena leader Dada Bhuse told the media that the state government would bear all medical expenses of the injured,
Most of those killed and injured were bus passengers, he said. The truck was going from Dhule to Mumbai, the minister added.
"The incident occurred near my house. Heavy vehicles ply here. After the incident, the bus caught fire and people were burnt to death. We saw it but we could not do anything. Fire department officials and police came later," said an eye witness.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs from PMNRF to the next of kin of each of the deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each.
