Three dead, nine injured in fatal collision on NH-27 near Baran

Kota: A road accident claimed three lives and left nine others injured when a 12-seater commercial vehicle collided with a speeding truck on National Highway-27 near Faredua village under Kasba Thana police station in Baran district early Friday morning. The victims were returning from a pilgrimage to Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
The deceased were identified as Jagdish Prajapat (40), Bharat Prajapat (45) and his wife Amritabai (40), all residents of Sagwada in Dungarpur district.
The accident occurred around 6am when a speeding truck attempted to overtake their vehicle, resulting in a head-on collision, eyewitness accounts said. The truck driver fled the scene and remains at large.
According to Kasba Thana police station SHO Yogesh Sharma, the group of pilgrims were traveling in a Cruiser car when the accident occurred. "At least 11 individuals, all from the Prajapat community, and a driver, were traveling in the Cruiser when the truck collided with them," Sharma said.
Emergency responders rushed the victims to a local primary healthcare centre, where three were pronounced dead on arrival. The remaining nine injured passengers were transferred to MBS hospital in Kota for further treatment. While three victims were initially in serious condition, authorities report they are now recovering.
Survivor Devangi Prajapat, currently receiving treatment at MBS hospital, recounted that all passengers were relatives who had left for the pilgrimage the previous Saturday. " We were all asleep when the accident happened. I suddenly found myself trapped beneath a heavy weight. I managed to free myself and helped pull out two family members," she said.
Nilesh, the driver of the Cruiser, explained that they had left Chitrakut on Thursday night. He described the moment of impact, noting that the truck driver was speeding when the collision occurred. "I first pulled out the passengers who were stuck in the vehicle before calling the police and ambulance," he added.
Police have registered a case against the unidentified truck driver, and investigations are ongoing to locate both the vehicle and its driver.
(pic on mail)