Patna: Twenty-three tourists from Kerala sustained injuries when their bus rammed into a truck parked on the roadside on Veer Kunwar Singh Ganga Setu in Buxar around 3am on Monday. The group was travelling to Ayodhya after performing pind daan rituals in Gaya.The bus driver, Ramesh Swami, sustained serious injuries and was admitted to Buxar Sadar Hospital. Four passengers also suffered serious injuries and were undergoing treatment, while several others were discharged after receiving first aid.The group, comprising around 27 pilgrims, had arrived in Gaya from Kerala for the rituals. They left for Ayodhya around 10pm on Sunday. Most of the passengers were asleep when the bus crashed into the stationary truck while crossing the bridge towards Uttar Pradesh.The impact triggered panic among passengers, with several being thrown forward from their seats. Police from Industrial police station reached the spot soon after being alerted. With the help of local residents, the injured were rescued and taken to Buxar Sadar Hospital.One of the injured, K Swami, said he was asleep when he heard a loud crash. “I was thrown forward and hit the seat in front of me,” he said.Another passenger, Ram Rao, said nearly everyone onboard suffered injuries. According to him, four passengers were seriously injured, while most others were out of danger. Some passengers with minor injuries were discharged after first aid and later proceeded to Buxar railway station to continue their journey by train.Police said preliminary findings suggested that the driver may have dozed off before the collision. Industrial SHO Sonu Kumar said, “All the injured were shifted to hospital soon after the accident, and most of them are out of danger. The exact cause of the accident is being investigated.”
