Five killed, 13 injured as SUV carrying marriage party rams into a bus

Five persons, including four children, were killed and 13 others injured on Thursday when a SUV carrying a marriage party collided head-on with a bus in Jashpur district of northern Chhattisgarh, police said. "The incident occurred at Karmitikra village, about 10 kms ahead of Pathalgaon town on Ambikapur-Pathalgaon road," sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) DL Kehari said over phone.

The SUV, carrying the marriage party, was proceeding from Jajga village (under Sitapur police station limits) in Sarguja district to the bride's place at Ludaid village near Pathalgaon while the private passenger bus was on its way to Ambikapur, he said.

Four children and the driver of the car died on the spot, he said. The deceased have been identified as Neelam Khalko (12), Sanjeev (10), Suraj (9), Lavkush Khalko (8) and driver Deepak Gupta (25), the SDOP said, adding that, however, the passengers of the bus were not injured.

"The 13 injured passengers of the SUV have been rushed to a local hospital in Pathalgaon," he added. Both the bus and the SUV have been seized by police and a case has been registered in this connection, he said. The magnitude of the accident indicates that the SUV was running at a speed of over 100 kmph, police said.