Eighteen Kanwariyas tragically lost their lives and ten others sustained injuries in a catastrophic bus-truck collision near Jamuniya village in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district early Tuesday morning.
The accident occurred during the Shravani Mela—a time when thousands of devotees undertake the Kanwar Yatra to offer sacred water at the revered Baba Baidyanath Dham temple.
The collision site, located in Mohanpur block along the banks of the north-flowing Jamuniya River, became a scene of devastation after a bus carrying about 35 pilgrims was struck head-on by a truck transporting gas cylinders. The impact was so severe that the bus was reportedly torn apart, leaving devotees trapped in the wreckage.
Emergency teams, including police, ambulance services, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), rushed to the site. Rescue personnel worked tirelessly to extract the injured and recover the deceased from the mangled remains. Those wounded were transferred to Deoghar Sadar Hospital and nearby health centres, with some reported to be in critical condition.
Deoghar MP Nishikant Dubey expressed deep sorrow, stating, “May Baba Baidyanath Ji grant strength to the families to bear this grief.” District officials and civil administration representatives visited both the accident site and hospitals to oversee rescue and medical efforts.
A crane was deployed to manage the twisted wreckage as investigations into the cause of the crash began, with authorities probing possible negligence on the part of the drivers involved.
