At least 18 people were killed when a truck packed with labourers overturned on a winding highway in western India on Tuesday, police said.
The truck hit a roadside barrier outside Khandala, a hill resort and popular tourist destination 80 kilometres (50 miles) inland from Mumbai.
“The truck was definitely speeding and flipped over two, three times and crashed into a highway barrier. We have recovered 18 bodies so far,” Padmakar Ghanwat, a Khandala police inspector, told AFP.
Another 15 people were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
PHOTO: MANGALAM
The deadly crash came just a day after 30 people, including 27 children, were killed when a school bus plunged into a ravine in the Himalayan foothills.
India has some of the world’s deadliest roads, claiming the lives of more than 150,000 people each year. Most accidents are blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
Initial investigations indicated the driver lost control causing the truck to swerve off the bridge and fall eight metres (26 feet) onto a dry riverbed in Gujarat state, police said.“Around 60 persons were travelling in the truck and most victims are women and children,” Gujarat police inspector K.J. Kadapda told AFP.
Officials indicated the toll could rise as many of the passengers, who were on their way to a wedding, remained trapped under the truck which overturned. Other injured victims have been rushed to hospital.
The accident happened in Bhavnagar district, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the state capital Ahmedabad.
The district collector, Harshadkumar Patel, said “at least 25 persons have lost their lives in the accident.”
India has some of the world’s deadliest roads.
More than 150,000 people are killed each year with most accidents blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
