Patna, Feb 10 At least two people were killed after a speeding passenger bus collided head-on with a car near Lalu Chhapra Chowk in the Paru police station area of Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Tuesday.
The horrific road accident turned the stretch of road into a scene of chaos and panic.
According to eyewitnesses, the passenger bus, reportedly moving at high speed, rammed into the oncoming car in the early morning hours.
The impact was so severe that the car was crushed, killing both occupants on the spot. The deafening sound of the collision was heard from a distance, drawing locals to the site within minutes.
Following the accident, the bus driver and co-driver fled the scene. The bus was on its way to Areraj-Bettiah when the accident occurred.
Local residents alleged that reckless speeding by the bus driver led to the fatal crash.
On receiving information, personnel from Paru police station reached the spot, cordoned off the area, and took both bodies into custody before sending them for post-mortem examination.
The deceased were identified as Bhanu Pratap Dwivedi, son of Kamalkant Dwivedi of Bahuari Lakshmipur in East Champaran, and Om Prakash Kumar, son of Rajdev Prasad of Mathiya village, Shanichari police station area in West Champaran.
The damaged bus and car were removed from the road to restore traffic movement.
Police have launched a search operation to trace the absconding driver and co-driver and are also attempting to identify the bus owner through the vehicle’s registration number.
A case has been registered against the bus driver under the relevant sections of rash and negligent driving at Paru police station.
The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the area.
Locals claimed that accidents are frequent at Lalu Chhapra Chowk due to overspeeding and a lack of traffic control, but no effective preventive measures have been implemented so far.
Residents have demanded improved traffic management and strict enforcement against speeding vehicles.
Police officials stated that a detailed investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.
While the probe continues, the tragedy once again underscores the deadly consequences of reckless driving -- leaving behind grieving families and unanswered questions.
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