Bihar: Lorry hits religious devotees killing 12, including 7 kids; president, PM condole deaths

• Shubham
• 21 November, 2022

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By: Shubham Ghosh

Top Indian leaders such as president Droupadi Murmu, prime minister Narendra Modi, and others expressed condolences over the road accident in Vaishali district of the eastern state of Bihar on Sunday (20) that left at least 12, including seven children, dead.

Several were reportedly injured.

The tragedy occurred when a speeding lorry rammed into a crowd of religious devotees at a roadside temple in Desri police station area of Vaishali, located about 30 kilometres from state capital Patna, around 9 pm on Sunday. The heavy vehicle hit the devotees when they had gathered in front of a tree to offer prayers to a local deity, Press Trust of India reported.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the Indian president, tweeted in Hindi, “The news of several casualties including children in a road accident in Vaishali, Bihar is extremely painful. I express my deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this accident and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

वैशाली, बिहार में हुई सड़क दुर्घटना में बच्चों समेत कई लोगों के हताहत होने की ख़बर अत्यंत पीड़ादायक है। मैं इस हादसे में अपने प्रियजनों को खोने वाले परिवारों के प्रति गहन शोक-संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करती हूं तथा घायल हुए लोगों के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की कामना करती हूं।

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 20, 2022

Modi also condoled the loss of lives and sanctioned an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

“The accident in Vaishali, Bihar is saddening. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000,” the prime minister’s office tweeted.

The accident in Vaishali, Bihar is saddening. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 20, 2022

Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, also condoled the deaths and ordered ex-gratia grants to the family members as per standard procedure and help for the injured about their treatment, his office said.

Police sources said the accident happened after the driver of the lorry lost control of the vehicle.