Deoghar, July 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the deaths of Kanwariyas in Jharkhand's Deoghar, and extended his condolences to the families of the victims.

Eighteen Kanwariyas lost their lives and ten others were injured in a devastating road accident near Jamuniya village in Jharkhand's Deoghar district on Tuesday.

The incident occurred during the ongoing Shravani Mela, a time when thousands of devotees travel to offer sacred water at the Baba Baidyanath Dham temple.

Quoting PM Modi, the Prime Minister's Office said, "The road accident that occurred in Deoghar, Jharkhand, is extremely tragic. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the devotees who lost their lives in this incident. May God grant them the strength to bear this pain. Along with this, I pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured."

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren also expressed his sadness over the accident, stating, "This morning, extremely sad news was received about the death of devotees travelling in a bus accident near Jamuniya Chowk in the Mohanpur block of Deoghar."

He said the district administration is providing relief and rescue operations along with medical facilities for the injured.

"May Baba Baidyanath grant peace to the souls of the devotees who died in the accident and give strength to the grieving families to bear this hour of sorrow," the Chief Minister added.

Earlier in the day, Deoghar MP Nishikant Dubey confirmed the tragedy, stating, "In my Lok Sabha constituency of Deoghar, during the Kanwar Yatra in the month of Shravan, 18 devotees lost their lives due to a bus and truck accident. May Baba Baidyanath Ji grant strength to their families to bear this grief."

The accident site, located in Mohanpur block of Deoghar, lies along the banks of the north-flowing Jamuniya River, near a renowned Shiva-Parvati temple.

The collision occurred when a bus carrying about 35 devotees en route to Deoghar for offering 'jal' (holy water) at Baba Baidyanath Dham was struck head-on by a truck transporting gas cylinders.

Eyewitnesses described the scene as horrifying. The impact was so intense that the bus was reportedly torn apart, with screams echoing in the aftermath.

Several devotees were trapped inside the mangled remains of the vehicle, prompting an immediate response from the police, ambulance services, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), who worked together to extract the injured and retrieve the bodies.

The injured were rushed to nearby primary health centres and Deoghar Sadar Hospital. Authorities stated that the condition of some was critical. The identities of the deceased are currently being verified, and the bodies are being sent for post-mortem examinations.

(IANS)

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