A bus caught fire after colliding head-on with a truck on a highway in central India, killing at least 13 people, police said.
Twelve bus passengers died in the blaze and the truck driver was killed by the impact of the accident in Guna district in Madhya Pradesh state on Wednesday night said police officer, Anoop Bhargava.
Another 16 people suffered burns or bone fractures and were taken to a hospital, Bhargava said.
The bus carrying around 30 passengers was on its way to Aaron town, while the dumper truck was heading towards Guna in the opposite direction. The crash took place around 9pm which set the bus on fire, state authorities said.
The victims were charred to death.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav launched an investigation into the tragedy and awarded ex gratia payments of Rs400,000 (£3,750) to each of the deceased’s family and Rs50,000 (£468) to each of the injured.
On Thursday, he plans to pay a visit to the injured at Guna’s district hospital.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, federal aviation minister and state legislator, expressed sorrow and wished “the citizens injured in the accident a speedy recovery.”
The region is nearly 900 kilometers south of New Delhi, deadly road accidents are common in India, often due to reckless driving, poorly maintained roads, and aging vehicles.
More than 110,000 people are killed every year in road accidents across India, according to police.
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