VARANASI: At least two women were killed and 35 other pilgrims from Maharashtra injured when their bus overturned on the Gorakhpur–Varanasi highway near Naisara village, under Nandganj police station in Ghazipur district on Thursday. Ghazipur District Magistrate Avinash Kumar and SP Iraj Raja said the deceased women were identified as Annapurna, 50, from Akola, and Saraswati, 70, from Buldhana. Among the 35 injured, 32 were admitted to the medical college hospital, while three in critical condition were being closely monitored by a team of specialist doctors. The DM said the 48 pilgrims had come from Maharashtra for a religious trip to Uttar Pradesh. After visiting Ayodhya, they went to Nepal, and were returning to Varanasi to offer prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Around 11:30 am, the bus overturned while passing through Naisara village. Nandganj police, assisted by senior officials including the ASP, reached the site immediately. Locals helped rescue the injured, who were rushed to hospital. The reason why the driver lost control of the vehicle is yet to be determined.
