10 dead as bus collides with truck in Nashik district; CM Shinde orders probe

Ten persons were killed and 20 others injured after a speeding bus collided with a truck in Maharashtra's Nashik district on 13 January, police officials said.

The private luxury bus was carrying employees of a company based at Ambernath in Thane district who were heading for the temple town of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district, officials said.

There were a total of 45 passengers in the bus.

The incident took place around 6 am near Pathare Shivar in Nashik's Sinnar tehsil, around 180 km from Mumbai, officials said.

The deceased included seven women, two small boys and a man.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of life and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PM National Relief Fund to the next-of-kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each, the PMO tweeted.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also announced financial help of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the deceased while ordering an inquiry into the cause of the accident.

The death toll may increase as the condition of some of the injured was said to be critical, officials said.

(PTI inputs)