SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Feb 18: More than a dozen devotees from West Bengal were injured early Tuesday morning in a road accident while returning from the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela.
Their tourist bus collided with a stationary lorry on the Delhi-Kolkata GT Road (NH-2) near Tetulia More, approximately 30 kilometers from Dhanbad headquarters.
The accident occurred around 3 am when the bus, heading toward West Bengal, crashed into the rear of a lorry that was parked on the Kolkata lane of NH-2. According to Manjit Kumar, officer-in-charge of Nirsa Police Station, over 18 devotees, including eight women, sustained injuries, with many of them suffering from head injuries.
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Rescue and Medical Assistance
Nirsa police, assisted by local residents, quickly transported the injured to Nirsa Community Health Centre (CHC), where initial treatment was administered. Some of the injured were then referred to Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH) in Dhanbad for further treatment.
Prof. Dr. Dinesh Kumar Gindauria, the emergency in-charge at SNMMCH, reported that 12 devotees were admitted to the hospital, with two serious cases being treated, while the remaining 10 were released after receiving first aid.
Cause of the Accident
The injured devotees stated that the bus driver fell asleep while driving, leading the vehicle to crash into the standing lorry.
One victim mentioned that there were 65 devotees on the bus, and around 20 of them were injured, with those seated at the front suffering the most severe injuries. All the devotees are residents of Haldia in the East Medinipur district of West Bengal.
