60-yr-old Nashik woman dies, 45 injured as Ayodhya-bound tourist bus rams truck in Kanpur

Nashik: A 60‑year‑old Nashik woman, Bhagirathi, died and 45 others were injured when an Ayodhya‑bound tourist bus carrying 57 passengers from Nashik rammed a stationary truck on Etawah highway in Kanpur on Saturday morning.According to police, local residents rushed to help and shifted the injured passengers, including 31 women and 14 men, to a nearby govt medical college and hospital. "The pilgrims, from Ojhar and Pimpalgaon in Niphad taluka, and from Malegaon taluka, had left by bus on Thursday for a religious tour," police said.Deputy commissioner of Kanpur police S M Qasim said, "The tourist bus rammed the truck that had broken down and was parked along the highway. The front portion of the bus was extensively damaged. Two containers and a truck also collided in the chain reaction, though no additional injuries were reported. We suspect that the bus driver might have dozed off, but further investigations are on."Emergency medical officer in Kanpur Dr Ashish Sahu said the 60-year-old woman had already passed away before reaching the hospital. "Her family has been informed," he said.The police said four passengers underwent surgery, while five others required orthopaedic treatment.According to survivors, they started from Maharashtra on Thursday, visited Ujjain Mahakal on Friday, and continued their journey after a late‑night stop in Bhind.Nashik district collector Ayush Prasad, after being informed of the accident, coordinated with officials in Kanpur and confirmed that all the injured people were receiving treatment at the govt hospital there. An additional district collector-level officer had been assigned to oversee the medical care and arrangements for the injured passengers in Kanpur," Prasad added.(With inputs from Faiz Rahman Siddiqui in Kanpur)