Seven Killed After Two Buses, Tractor Collide in Gujarat’s Surat District
SURAT, Gujarat — Seven people were killed and about 15 others injured Tuesday after two Maharashtra State Transport buses and a tractor were involved in a major crash near Uva-Manekpor village in Gujarat’s Surat district, officials said.
According to preliminary information, a Maharashtra State Transport bus traveling from Dhule to Surat via Navapur struck a tractor moving ahead of it on the highway in Bardoli taluka.
The impact sent the bus across the central divider, where it collided head-on with another Maharashtra State Transport bus coming from the opposite direction. One bus was carrying about 25 to 26 passengers, while the other had about 33 to 35 passengers, officials said.
The crash caused one of the buses to overturn several times before it caught fire and rolled down an embankment. Authorities said several passengers were trapped inside after flames engulfed the vehicle, making rescue efforts more difficult.
Officials confirmed seven deaths in the crash, though the toll could rise because some of the injured were reported to be in serious condition.
About 15 injured passengers were pulled from the wreckage and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Emergency personnel continued to assess the condition of those involved as authorities worked to identify all passengers traveling on the buses.
Firefighters, police officers and ambulance crews rushed to the scene and launched a large-scale rescue operation. Fire brigade personnel worked to extinguish the flames while rescue teams searched the damaged vehicles for anyone still trapped inside.
The accident also caused a long traffic jam on the highway, with traffic affected for several hours as emergency crews cleared the site.
Police have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash. Further details were awaited as authorities continued gathering information about the victims and the circumstances leading to the accident. (Source: IANS)
