New Delhi: Nine people were killed and 28 others injured in a horrific accident between a bus and an SUV in Gujarat’s Navsari district in the early hours of Saturday, police said.
According to the information, a bus carrying people returning from the ongoing Pramukh Swami Maharaj centenary festival celebrations rammed into a Toyota Fortuner car on Navsari National Highway (Highway) No. 48.
The bus driver suffered a heart attack and lost control of the vehicle. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, where he died. Eight of the nine occupants of the car were killed, while 28 people in the bus were injured. 11 were taken to a private hospital, police said.
The luxury bus was going from Surat to Valsad. Navsari Superintendent of Police (SP) Rishikesh Upadhyay said the accident took place near Vesma village when the SUV was coming from the opposite direction. The passengers in the SUV were residents of Ankleshwar in Gujarat, and were on their way back to their hometown from Valsad.
“The passengers of the bus were from Valsad. Traffic on the highway was disrupted due to the accident, following which the police removed the bus from the road with the help of cranes and traffic was restored normally.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the inaugural function of Pramukh Swami Maharaj Centenary Festival in Ahmedabad on December 14. The programme started on December 15 and is scheduled to run till January 15, 2023.