Bihar Bus Crash: Five Killed As Passenger Bus Ploughs Into Crowd At Orchestra Event

Bihar, 22 Aug : Five people died after a passenger bus crashed into a roadside crowd during an orchestra programme in Bihar’s West Champaran district late on Friday night.

The collision occurred near Parau Tola Bankatwa on the Bettiah-Lauriya main road within the Lauriya police station area.

The gathering had assembled for an orchestra event organised during a Chhathiyar ceremony at the home of Shatrughan Dubey.

Eyewitnesses said a Shahi Travels passenger bus was travelling from Gorakhpur towards Bettiah at around 11:50 PM when a truck approached from the opposite direction.

The bus driver reportedly attempted to avoid the approaching truck but lost control of the vehicle.

The bus subsequently veered towards the roadside and struck people attending the event. The crash killed five people at the scene.

Authorities identified the victims as Bankatwa residents Bahadur Mahto, Sanjay Kumar, Bhola Dubey, Devendra Dubey and Chhangur Ram.

Devendra Dubey was the father of the child whose Chhathiyar ceremony was taking place when the accident occurred.

The collision left more than half a dozen people injured. Among those hurt were Vinay Kumar Yadav, Shyam Babu, Moti Chandra Mahto and Naresh Ram.

Police personnel and residents responded quickly and transported the injured to Government Medical College and Hospital in Bettiah for treatment.

The accident triggered anger among residents, who damaged the bus and truck following the crash.

Narkatiaganj SDPO Jayprakash Singh reached the location and helped police bring the situation under control.

Officers recovered the bodies and sent them to GMCH Bettiah for post-mortem examinations.

West Champaran police subsequently registered an FIR against the bus and truck drivers for alleged rash and negligent driving.

Both drivers reportedly fled the scene, prompting police to launch efforts to locate them. Investigators are examining the circumstances that led to the collision.