5 killed as auto-rickshaw collides with truck in Bihar’s Vaishali

Hajipur, July 29

Five people were killed and five seriously injured in a collision between an auto-rickshaw and a truck in Vaishali district of Bihar on Monday, a police official said.

All the victims were travelling in the auto-rickshaw.

According to Vaishali police station SHO Pravin Kumar, two people were killed on the spot while the remaining were taken to a hospital where three others succumbed to injuries.

All the deceased, except the auto-rickshaw driver, were women.

The occupants of the three-wheeler, including the driver, were all residents of Motipur in the adjoining Muzaffarpur district.

The SHO said the victims were heading for the Budhiya Maiya shrine near Hajipur, where Vaishali district is headquartered.

The injured were referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital while the police were trying to track down the truck driver who fled the spot after the accident.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the deaths and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased.