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Truck crash kills 85 in India
08/09/2007 12:11 - (SA)
Jaipur, India - A large truck crammed with Hindu pilgrims crashed into a gorge in northwestern India, killing at least 85 people and injuring 46 others, police said on Saturday.
The accident occurred on Friday night when the driver lost control while making a sharp turn near the village of Nagbavji, in rural Rajasthan state, police official Rajiv Dusot said.
The truck smashed through a protective barrier on the highway and plunged 24 metres into the gorge, Dusot told The Associated Press. The 12-wheeled truck - normally used to haul large containers - was carrying 145 people.
Rescuers using cranes and searchlights recovered 85 bodies overnight, Dusot said. Another 46 people were hospitalised with injuries, and the rest escaped unscathed.
The truck's owner, Gopal Paliwal, had offered a free ride to the pilgrims, he said.
The passengers, from three adjacent villages, were on their way to Ramdev temple, which is revered by both Hindus and Muslims, for an annual pilgrimage.
Nearly 250 000 people visit the shrine during the 10-day pilgrimage each September. This year the festival is scheduled to start September 13, but pilgrims usually arrive several days in advance.
The temple is especially popular with poor Hindus because the temple deity, Baba Ramdev, is believed to be the patron of the downtrodden.
Overcrowded vehicles are a major danger in India, and road accidents caused by reckless driving, aging vehicles and bad roads are common.
Nagbavji is more than 550 kilometres southwest of New Delhi.
- AP
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