10 dead as bus collides with truck in Maharashtra; CM orders probe

MUMBAI: At least ten persons were killed and several injured after a speeding bus collided with a truck in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Friday morning, police officials said. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed grief over the loss of life and ordered an inquiry into the accident.

The private luxury bus which had started from Ambernath in Thane district was heading for the temple town of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district, officials said.

The incident took place around 6.30 am near Pathare Shivar in Nashik's Sinnar tehsil, around 180 km from Mumbai, officials said.

As per preliminary reports, the deceased included seven women, two small boys and a man. The injured were taken to the Sinnar Rural Hospital and Yashwant Hospital in Sinnar. The death toll may increase as the condition of some of the injured was said to be critical, officials said.

Chief Minister Shinde expressed grief over the incident and announced financial help of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the deceased. The government will bear the expenses of the treatment of the injured persons, a statement from his office said.

Shinde spoke to the Nashik divisional commissioner and asked him to shift the injured immediately to Nashik and Shirdi for treatment and also conduct an inquiry into the causes of the accident, it added.