Gujarat: Driver suffers heart attack, bus hits SUV killing 9
At least nine people died and 32 others injured after a bus rammed into a Toyota Fortuner car in Gujarat's Navsari district on Saturday, India Today reported. The bus driver reportedly suffered a heart attack and lost control of the vehicle. The incident took place on the Navsari National Highway 48 while the bus was returning from the Pramukh Swami Maharaj Shatabdi Mahotsav festival.
What did officials say?
Additional district collector Ketan Joshi confirmed the news to India Today that nine persons, including the bus driver and eight occupants of the car, lost their lives while 32 passengers of the bus were injured. He said the car was on its way from Valsad back to their hometown of Ankleshwar in Gujarat when the incident occurred.
Injured rushed to different hospitals for treatment
According to Joshi, the injured were admitted to hospitals in Valsad, Navsari, and Surat for treatment. He stated that the police retrieved the bodies of nine people and sent them for autopsy. The people traveling in SUV (Fortuner) were employees of a firm in Ankleshwar while the bus was transporting people from Ahmedabad to Valsad.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed grief
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed shock over the incident and condoled the deaths. "The road accident in Gujarat's Navsari is heartbreaking. My condolences to those who have lost their families in this tragedy. May God give them the strength to bear the pain," he tweeted. Shah also assured support from the local administration and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Home Minister Amit Shah's tweet in Gujarati
ગુજરાતના નવસારીમાં થયેલ સડક દુર્ઘટના હૃદયદ્રાવક છે. આ દુર્ઘટનામાં જેમણે પોતાના પરિજનો ગુમાવ્યા છે તેમના પ્રત્યે સંવેદના વ્યક્ત કરું છું. ભગવાન તેમને દુ:ખ સહન કરવાની શક્તિ આપે. સ્થાનિક વહીવટીતંત્ર ઘાયલોને તાત્કાલિક સારવાર આપી રહ્યું છે, તેઓની ઝડપથી સ્વસ્થ થવાની પ્રાર્થના કરુ છું.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 31, 2022
Incident led to traffic disruption
Meanwhile, the accident led to traffic disruption on the highway, according to ANI. The police had to remove the bus with the help of a crane to resume the usual traffic after hours of snarls. Notably, PM Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural function of the Pramukh Swami Maharaj Shatabdi Mahotsav in Ahmedabad on December 14.
Similar horrific incident in Madhya Pradesh
On December 1, a similar crash took place in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, when a city bus struck several vehicles after its driver died suddenly after suffering a heart attack. The bus collided with other cars, causing two deaths and leaving several injured. The bus unexpectedly veered off course while it was traveling in the vicinity of the Gohalpur police station.
