Key Takeaways:
- Bus from Pothiyahi, Rautahat carrying 45 pilgrims crashed at 3am in Satgawan, Jharkhand
- Three dead identified: Nawal Jaiswal, his wife, and 10-year-old Shivam Mahato
- 34 injured rescued and sent to hospitals; cause under investigation, driver fatigue suspected
- Accident occurred during annual Bol Bam pilgrimage to Baidyanath Dham
RAUTAHAT, AUGUST 14
A Bol Bam pilgrimage from Rautahat turned tragic in India early Friday when a bus carrying Nepali pilgrims collided with a freight truck in Jharkhand, killing three people and injuring 34 others.
The bus, carrying 45 pilgrims from Pothiyahi in Garuda Municipality-6, was travelling to Baidyanath Dham when it crashed around 3am in the Satgawan area of Koderma district, according to Indian media reports.
The deceased were identified as 60-year-old Nawal Jaiswal, his wife, and 10-year-old Shivam Mahato. Most of those killed and injured are residents of Pothiyahi.
The pilgrims had left Rautahat on Sunday in a bus registered Na 6 Kha 1554. After visiting Basukinath, they were travelling via Deoghar towards Rajgir when the collision occurred. The front section of the bus was completely damaged.
Police from Satgawan station rescued the injured and sent them to nearby hospitals. Police chief Bablu Singh said preliminary investigation suggested the driver may have been extremely sleepy, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
News of the crash plunged Pothiyahi into mourning, with relatives travelling to India in reserved vehicles Friday morning. Details of other injured passengers and their condition are still being established.
The pilgrims had been travelling as part of the annual Bol Bam pilgrimage to Baidyanath Dham, a major religious journey for devotees of Lord Shiva.
