Buldhana: On Saturday, near Malkapur in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra, two private luxury buses crashed, killing at least six pilgrims returning from the Amarnath Yatra and injuring another 21.
The accident occured when the pilgrims were returning home to Hingoli and other places when their buses rammed into an Akola-bound bus.
The six victims died on the spot and of the 21 injured, two were said to be in serious condition.
The other 32 passengers have been shifted to a gurdwara in Malkapur for temporary lodging and boarding till arrangements are made to enable them go home.
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, announced that all of the injured will be treated at the government's expense at the Buldhana Civil Hospital and that the families of the deceased will receive Rs 5 lakhs in compensation.
According to a police official, the accident occurred at approximately 2.30 a.m. on National Highway 6 near Malkapur, which is on the Akola-Jalgaon highway, on a railway over-bridge.
One of the buses had around 50 pilgrims returning to Hingoli after an 18-day pilgrimage to Amarnath, and the other bus of Royal Travels bound from Nagpur to Nashik with inter-district passengers.
Initial reports indicate that the bus travelling to Nashik was attempting to overtake a truck while the accident occurred when a bus travelling to Hingoli sped ahead of it.—Inputs from Agencies