Patna: At least 24 passengers sustained injuries after a bus travelling from Patna to Udakishunganj collided with a truck and overturned on NH-27 in Supaul district early Thursday. The accident occurred around 4am near Harsh Petrol Pump at Hariyahi under the Nirmali police station area.The injured include Anil Ram, Sujit Kumar, Sutikshna Kumar, Md Ustad, Sahil Kumar, Ranjit Kumar, Nutan Devi, Ankit Kumar, Karan Kumar, Subhadra Devi, Md Shahenshah, Pandav Kumar, Anil Mandal and truck driver Jitendra Kumar, among others. No fatalities have been reported so far.According to eyewitnesses and injured passengers, the bus was carrying over 40 passengers when a speeding truck hit it while overtaking. Due to the impact, the bus lost balance and toppled along the highway. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage. The truck driver was trapped inside the cabin and was rescued after prolonged efforts by locals and the police.All the injured were taken to the sub-divisional hospital in Nirmali. Dr Alok Raj, who was on duty, said 14 injured passengers were admitted and treated, while eight of them were in serious condition and referred to higher centres for advanced care.Nirmali SHO Siyawar Mandal said police reached the spot soon after receiving information, removed the damaged vehicles and restored traffic on NH-27. “Preliminary investigation suggests overspeeding and negligence as the causes of the accident. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway,” he said.
