8 killed in sleep as truck rams into huts in Amreli

Rajkot: Wails broke the silence of the night on the outskirts of Badhada village in Amreli district when a vehicle recovery truck crashed into thatched houses, killing eight people who were in deep sleep.
The deceased include two children who died on the spot while two other kids are battling for their lives.
Around 2.30am on Monday, truck driver Pravin Parmar, a resident of Rajkot, lost control and veered off the road on the way to Jafrabad. Police said he had dozed off for a moment. The truck crushed three huts before hitting a brick wall, destroying the furniture of the houses and killing its residents, who were sleeping in open bedsteads.
The victims have been identified as Hemraj Solanki (35), his wife Laxmi (30), their two daughters Puja (8) and Sukan (13); their neighbours Narsinh Sakhla (60) and Navghan Sakhla (65) and Sakhlas’ guests Viram Rathod (35) and Lala alias Dadu Rathod (26). Hemraj and Laxmi’s two other children Dili (7) and Lalo (3) were severely injured and are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Amreli.
Police said that since it was night and there was sparse traffic on the road. Parmar was driving at a high speed due to which when the vehicle veered off the road, it did not stop until it hit the wall. “The truck first crushed two people. Others started screaming but the driver could not apply the brakes and before others could have moved to protect themselves, the truck crushed them,” said deputy superintendent of police K J Chaudhari.
Parmar, 24, was arrested after an offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and rash driving was registered against him. The offence was lodged based on the complaint given by Viram’s relative Hira Rathod, who was also sleeping in one of the houses, but escaped with minor injuries.
Following the accident, chief minister Vijay Rupani announced an ex-gratia of Rs four lakh each for the kin of the eight victims. He also asked the Amreli district collector to provide immediate help and submit a probe report of the accident.