According to police, nine people were killed and nearly 15 others were injured when a sports utility vehicle (SUV) rammed into a luxury bus in Gujarat’s Navsari district in the early hours of Saturday.
According to Navsari Superintendent of Police (SP) Rushikesh Upadhyay, the accident happened on a national highway near Vesma village when the bus was heading towards Valsad and the SUV was coming from the opposite direction.
According to him, eight of the nine people in the SUV died on the spot, along with the driver of the luxury bus.
The passengers in the SUV were from Gujarat’s Ankleshwar and they were returning to their hometown from Valsad, said Upadhyay, also said that the passengers in the bus were from Valsad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences for the loss of life in a road accident in Gujarat’s Navsari and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each deceased. The injured would receive Rs 50,000, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“Pained by the loss of lives due to a road accident in Navsari. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. Those injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” the PMO said in a tweet.