Bihar Katihar bus truck crash kills 13 PM Modi announces ex gratia

At least 13 killed and 30 injured in a bus, truck and pickup collision on NH31 in Katihar Bihar, PM Modi and CM Nitish announce ex gratia for families and injured.

A bus, a truck, and a pickup van collided in Katihar. (Photo: X)

At least 13 people were killed and 30 others injured following a collision involving a bus, a truck, and a pickup van in Bihar’s Katihar district on Saturday evening. PM Modi expressed condolences and announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.

According to a report by PTI, the accident took place at 6:30 pm on NH-31 in Kodha block of Katihar, Superintendent of Police Shikhar Choudhary told reporters.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each the deceased, and Rs 50,000 to each injured.

A local police official told PTI that the passengers travelling in the pickup van were coming from the neighbouring Purnea district when the accident took place.

He added that an investigation is under way to determine how the crash occurred. It is suspected that the bus driver, who is among those injured, lost control of the vehicle, leading to the collision.

According to a statement issued by the district police, all the injured have been taken to the nearest government hospital in Purnea.

Officials are currently trying to ascertain the identity of the deceased, the statement said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the deaths of people in the accident and announced an exgratia for the kin of the deceased.

“The chief minister… announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the immediate family members of the deceased from the CM’s relief fund. He also announced Rs 50,000 each to those injured in the accident,” an official release said.

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