At least 18 Hindu pilgrims killed in fiery bus crash in India’s Jharkhand state
At least 18 Hindu pilgrims were killed in eastern India on Tuesday after a bus collided with a truck carrying cooking gas cylinders, triggering a devastating fire, officials said.
The crash occurred in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district as the pilgrims were on their way to offer sacred Ganges water to Lord Shiva during the holy month of Shravan. Graphic visuals from the scene showed the bus’s rear section completely engulfed in flames, with mangled wreckage scattered across the road, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“Eighteen devotees lost their lives due to a bus and truck accident,” local lawmaker Nishikant Dubey confirmed on social media, adding that the victims were participating in the annual pilgrimage marking the onset of India’s monsoon season.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences, calling the incident "extremely tragic." His office released a statement offering prayers and support to the victims’ families.
India has one of the world’s highest road fatality rates. In 2023 alone, over 172,000 people died in road accidents, according to Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. Just last November, a bus crash in the northern state of Uttarakhand killed 36 people when it plunged into a Himalayan gorge.
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