Couple, their 2 sons among 5 killed as SUV collides with bus in Gujarat

Five people, including a couple and their two sons, were killed and nine others injured as a sports utility vehicle (SUV) collided with a bus in Gujarat's Banaskantha district, police said.

The accident took place near Amirgadh town around 4.30 pm, they said.

The bus involved in the accident was operated by the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation.

"The bus was going towards Sirohi in Rajasthan. A preliminary probe revealed that the driver of the SUV, who died in the accident, was driving carelessly on the wrong side of the highway," police inspector of Amirgadh, SK Parmar, said.

Five people travelling in the SUV, including driver Dilip Khokhria (32), died in the accident, he said, adding that nine others, including six occupants of the bus, received injuries.

Other deceased were identified as Khokhria's wife Mevliben (28), their two sons Rohit (6) and Ritwik (3), and one Sundariben Solanki (60), all residents of Dhanpura of Amirgadh taluka.

"The SUV driver entered the highway from the wrong side and rammed his vehicle into the bus, which was going towards Sirohi from Ahmedabad. Though the bus driver tried hard to avoid collision, there was no scope because the SUV was on the wrong side," Parmar said.