UP: 6 killed after truck hits bus on Gorakhpur-Kushinagar highway

Gorakhpur: Six people were killed while over 25 others injured when a speeding truck rammed into a roadways bus on a highway near Jagdishpur, a police official said on Friday.

The accident occurred on the Gorakhpur-Kushinagar highway on Thursday night, they said, adding that the truck has been seized and efforts are on to nab the driver.

According to police, the bus was parked on the roadside after it broke down. Some passengers got off the bus while the others remained seated inside when the truck hit the bus and ran over the passengers, killing two on the spot.

Four others succumbed during the treatment at a hospital. The truck has been seized and police are searching for the driver, Superintendent of Police (city) Krishan Kumar said.

More than 30 passengers were on board the bus going to Kushinagar’s Padrauna from Gorakhpur, police said.

Mubarak Ansari, a passenger, said the bus was full of passengers and suddenly a tyre burst. However, the driver somehow controlled the vehicle. He spoke to the depot and called for another bus and the passengers were waiting for the bus.

“Suddenly with a loud sound something hit the bus and people started crying for help. At first, we were not able to understand, but later we realised that a truck had hit the bus from behind,” he said.

Four of the deceased have been identified as Shailesh Patel (25), Suresh Chauhan (35), Nitesh Singh (25) and Himanshu Yadav (24), all residents of Kushinagar.