A tragic accident in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district claimed the lives of at least 18 Kanwariyas and left several others injured on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. near Jamuniya forest, within the Mohanpur Police Station limits, when a bus carrying the devotees collided head-on with a truck loaded with cooking gas cylinders, according to PTI.
Inspector General (Dumka Zone) Shailendra Kumar Sinha initially reported five fatalities to PTI, noting that the 32-seater bus was en route to the Basukinath temple when it struck the truck. However, Deoghar’s sub-divisional officer, Ravi Kumar, confirmed the Kanwariyas were traveling to the revered temple, a key destination for devotees of Lord Shiva during the holy month of Shravan. Godda MP Nishikant Dubey, in a post on X, stated that 18 devotees perished in the crash, expressing condolences and praying for strength for the victims’ families.
Traffic Deputy SP Laxman Prasad reported a death toll of at least nine, indicating that the number of casualties could rise due to the critical condition of several injured passengers. The district administration swiftly responded, rushing the injured to nearby hospitals and primary health centers for treatment. Authorities are investigating the cause of the collision, with preliminary reports suggesting possible brake failure or driver fatigue, as noted by a Mohanpur police official to Organiser.