18 Sleeping migrant workers killed as truck rammed into a broken-down bus in UP

At least 18 people were killed overnight when a truck rammed into a broken-down bus in northern India. The passengers were sleeping near the vehicle at the time of the accident.

At least 18 migrant laborers sleeping beside a highway in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh died after a truck crashed into a stationary bus early Wednesday.

At least 10 other people are reported to be injured and are currently undergoing treatment in the state's capital Lucknow. 

According to media reports, the workers had been traveling in the double-decker bus when its axle shaft broke close to the city of Barabanki. They then disembarked and were sleeping near the parked bus when the truck rammed into it from behind.

"The bus was overloaded and had about 150 passengers in it. It was hit by a truck on the highway," Barabanki police superintendent Yamuna Prasad told Reuters.

Most of the passengers were migrant workers returning home to the eastern state of Bihar after working in the states of Punjab or Haryana.

Some of the bodies were pulled from under the crushed bus. The district administration and the police have launched an investigation, police said. 

The police said several passengers were sleeping under the bus at the time of the accident. The driver of the truck escaped after the incident. Efforts were on to identify the victims, the police added.

The incident took place on the Kalyani river bridge under Ramsanehighat police station on Barabanki -Ayodhya border.

Shortly after the accident, heavy rain started. Amid the rain SDM Jitendra Katiyar and CO Pankaj Singh, the police team, with the help of local people, pulled out the bodies and sent the injured to the hospital.

Barabanki district authorities have issued a helpline number 9454417464 for information on the accident.

The victims hailed from different districts including Sitamarhi, Supaul, Shivhar, Saharsa of Bihar.

The deceased wee identified as Suresh Yadav(35) of Madhepura, Indal Mahto(25) of Sitamarhi, Sikandar Mukhiya(40) of Saharsa, Monu Sahani (30) of Sitamarhi, Jagdish Sahani (40) of Sitamarhi, Jai Bahadur Sahani(40) of Shivhar, Baijnathram(55) of Supaul, Balram Mandal(55) of Supaul, Santosh Singh(30) of Araria, Bouwa (24) of Araria, Raja (37 ) of Sitamarhi and Akhikesh Mukhiya(30) of Saharsa. Six of the deceased were yet to be identified.

President Ramnath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, UP Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have expressed grief over the death of people in the accident.

Mr Modi spoke to Mr Adityanath to know about the accident and expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. The CM also expressed his condolences and directed the DM SP Barabanki to ensure the best medical care to the injured and to help the passengers reach their destinations.

The CM announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.