17 Indian pilgrims killed in Nepal accident, bodies identified

At least 17 Indian pilgrims were killed and 28 others injured on Wednesday when a bus carrying them plunged into a river while negotiating a sharp bend along a downhill section of the Prithvi Highway in Nepal, police said.

According to Superintendent of Police Narayan Singh Khadka, the accident took place at 6.40 a.m. when the bus carrying 45 Indian pilgrims from Gujarat skidded off the Prithvi Highway, rolled down 200 metres and plunged into Jhyapre river in Dhading district, some 50 km west of Kathmandu.

Khadka said 14 people died on the spot while three others succumbed in hospital.

The 45 Indian pilgrims aboard the bus were returning to Gorakhpur in India after visiting the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu.

The injured were taken to various hospitals in Kathmandu, including the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Vayodha Hospital, Shahid Memorial Hospital and Norvic Hospital.

Personnel of the army, police and armed police along with local residents carried out the rescue work at the accident site.

The Armed Police Force of Nepal said 14 of the 17 killed in the accident belonged to Surendranagar village in Gujarat.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae visited the various hospitals to meet the injured pilgrims, the embassy said in a statement.

“Latest position on bus accident on Wednesday — 17 dead, 27 injured, five critical and one missing. Our consular team is on the spot. We are sending injured to different hospitals for treatment,” the embassy said.

It further added that the bus, carrying around 45 Indian pilgrims, was an Indian registered vehicle, operated by Shri Hari Tours & Travels of Gujarat state bearing registration number GJ14X9900.

Thursday 23 April 2015

http://news.worldsnap.com/international/asia/17-indians-killed-in-nepal-as-bus-falls-in-river-184012.html

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16 killed in road accident in Kazakhstan

A truck collided with a minibus carrying 19 people on a highway in southern Kazakhstan on Sunday, leaving 16 people dead, local media reports said on Monday.

The tragedy occurred at around 10:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) on the Almaty-Yekaterinburg route in the Zhambyl region and the majority of the victims were citizens of neighboring Kyrgyzstan.

The "Gazelle-2705" truck hit the "Mercedes-Benz Sprinter" minibus, which was heading from Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, to northern Kazakhstan, and both vehicles caught fire.

Fourteen bodies were found on the scene, while five other people were admitted to hospital in a serious condition. Two people died in the intensive care unit.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.

Wednesday 22 April 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-04/20/c_134167269.htm

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Government procures coffins for Mazabuka accident victims

Government has provided coffins and blankets to all the 17 Mazabuka accident victims that died in the early hours of Monday.

Acting Mazabuka District Commissioner, Wilson Siadunka, disclosed to ZANIS in Mazabuka this morning that government, through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), provided the necessary logistics needed for burial.

Mr Siadunka said apart from buying coffins and blankets for the dead, government also provided food and transport for all relatives of the deceased, some of whom came as far as Chipata in the Eastern Province.

He disclosed that from the 17 deceased persons, 11 bodies were on Tuesday transported to Lusaka, two to Monze District and one body was transported to Chipata for burial.

Mr Siadunka further explained that three other bodies were buried in Mazabuka yesterday following the advice given by their family members who allowed burial to take place within the district.

The Acting District Commissioner has thanked relatives of the deceased for what he termed as high levels of cooperation and maturity during the process of identifying the bodies, saying without their support the task would not have been an easy one.

A total of 17 people died on the spot after the Fuso fighter truck they were traveling in from Lusaka to Monze District lost control and rammed into Mazabuka Shoprite Checkers building around 01:00 hours in the early hours of Monday.

Friday 10 April 2015

http://www.lusakatimes.com/2015/04/09/government-procures-coffins-for-mazabuka-accident-victims/

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15 people feared dead after train hits a canter truck in Kafue

Fifteen people are feared dead after a light canter truck was hit by a train in Kafue last evening less than 24 hours after 19 people died in a road clash in Mazabuka on Monday morning.

Zambia Police spokesperson Charity Chanda confirmed in a post on social media that five people died on the spot but witnesses say more bodies were retrieved at the scene.

“Five people have died, 14 seriously injured while three sustained minor injuries in an accident which happened between 1830 hours and 1900 hours at the rail crossing in Kafue.

Among the seriously injured is a thief who tried to steal from the scene of accident,” Ms Chanda said.

According to eye witnesses, the light truck overtook other vehicles on the rail crossing that were waiting for the train to pass. The driver failed to stop after discovering that the train had already reached the road crossing point. The truck was hit in the trailor and dragged leaving many people and their animals likes goats seriously injured and others dead.

Early in the day 19 people died when the Fuso Fighter truck they were travelling in rammed into the Shoprite building in Mazabuka.

Among the dead are 10 men, six women and three children of various ages.

Southern Province police chief Mary Chikwanda confirmed the accident which happened around 01:00 hours yesterday.

Ms Chikwanda said in an interview that the truck, registration number ACT 2439, was being driven by Kabaso Mwenya from Lusaka heading to a fishing camp in Monze area.

Mr Mwenya is among the people that died on the spot, while some bodies of the victims were mangled.

According to witnesses, the vehicle was loaded with fridges, mealie meal and other goods which passengers, mostly fish mongers, use in their fish business.

The witnesses also disclosed that some money was discovered tied in a plastic bag at the scene of the accident.

Ms Chikwanda said the driver, whose wife also perished is believed to have been speeding resulting in him failing to negotiate a corner and hit into the building.

Part of the building has been razed due to the impact.

“The accident happened around 01:00 hours and several people died among them 10 men, six women and three children,” Ms Chikwanda said.

Ms Chikwanda further said that about five people sustained serious injuries, mainly broken bones, and were admitted to Mazabuka General Hospital.

Some of the bodies of the victims have been identified, while others were still waiting to be identified.

She appealed to members of the public to help the police and hospital authorities to identify the bodies.

The 23 passengers on the truck are believed to be residents of John Laing Township in Lusaka and were heading to Lonchinvar fishing camp.

President Lungu expressed sadness over the deaths when he visited the Copperbelt yesterday.

Vice-President Inonge Wina, who was in Livingstone for the official opening of the fourth general assembly of the Association of African Public Services Commissions, yesterday observed a moment of silence for the accident victims.

Tuesday 7 April 2015

http://www.lusakatimes.com/2015/04/07/15-people-feared-dead-after-train-hits-a-canter-truck-in-kafue/

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Zambia: 18 die in truck accident in Mazabuka

Eighteen people have died in Mazabuka after the Monze bound Fuso fighter truck they were in rammed into Mazabuka Shoprite checkers building around 01:00 hours on Monday Morning.

The eighteen people including ten males, five females and three children died on the spot.

Both Southern Province Police Commissioner Mary Chikwanda and Mazabuka Acting District Commissioner Wilson Siadunka confirmed the death in separate interviews with ZANIS in Mazabuka.

Ms. Chikwanda says the driver of the Fuso Fighter truck Registration number ACT 2439 identified as Manuel Kabole is also among the dead .

Ms. Chikwanda says the driver of the truck lost control of the vehicle due to over speeding and careered off the road before hitting into Shoprite checkers building.

And Mr. Siadunka has disclosed that according to authorities at Mazabuka General Hospital 17 people were taken to the hospital dead while one passenger died upon arrival at the health institution.

Mr. Siadunka has further disclosed that five other passengers have been admitted to the hospital in a critical condition.

He says the hospital is planning to evacuate the five casualties who sustained broken bones to the University Teaching Hospital for specialist treatment.

Mr. Siadunka has revealed that the 23 passengers on board the Fuso truck all of whom are residents of John Laing compound in Lusaka were travelling to Lochinvar fishing camp in Monze District where they were going to buy fish.

A check by ZANIS at Mazabuka Shoprite checkers found part of the building where the truck managed to stop from completely razed with employees clearing the rabble.

The bodies of the 18 accident victims are laying in Mazabuka General hospital mortuary.

Monday 6 April 2015

http://ukzambians.co.uk/home/2015/04/06/18-die-in-a-crash/

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Şanlıurfa traffic pile-up leaves 12 dead, 11 injured

A traffic accident involving a minibus, a car and a concrete mixer truck killed 12 people and injured 11 others in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa on Sunday.

The accident took place on the Şanlıurfa-Akçakale Highway, with heavy fog and rain negatively affecting driving conditions. A minibus reportedly changed lanes without warning and crashed into a concrete mixer coming from the opposite direction. A car travelling behind the concrete mixer then smashed into the collided vehicles.

A total of 12 people were killed and six others critically injured. Four Syrian nationals were reported to be among the casualties, in addition to young children. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while the bodies of those killed were taken to the morgue of the Şanlıurfa Council of Forensic Medicine, where autopsies will be carried out.

Deadly traffic accidents are a common occurrence on Turkey's highways. In the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri, a bus crash recently claimed the lives of 21 passengers and injured nearly 30 others.

A report released by the National Police Department's Road Services Directorate in late December revealed that at least 3,253 people died at the scene of road accidents in Turkey while 262,193 were injured and taken to hospital between January and November of 2014. During this period, a total of 343,855 accidents occurred due to drivers not following traffic laws, according to the report.

The report also says that in urban areas, on average 28,301 road accidents occurred per month, of which an average of 146 people died at the scene of the accident and 17,794 were taken to hospital for treatment.

The death toll for the number of people who died despite being taken to hospital was not included in the statistics but is estimated to exceed 5,000 per month. According to the report, the main cause of road accidents is driver error. Drivers were estimated to be at fault in 130,522 accidents, while 15,729 accidents were caused by pedestrians.

Sunday 29 March 2015

http://www.todayszaman.com/national_sanliurfa-traffic-pile-up-leaves-12-dead-11-injured_376627.html

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11 Bayelsa politicians to receive mass burial

The 11 women leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that died in a motor accident along the East-West Road on Valentine’s Day will be given a mass burial.

Checks by Daily Sun revealed that the decision to conduct mass burial for them had been made known to their families.

It was gathered that the decision was reached following the inability to identify the corpses.

According to investigation, the victims were burnt beyond recognition and former deputy governor and coordinator of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), Bayelsa State chapter, Werinipire Seibarugu and other officials of TAN, who visited the scene immediately after the accident collected the ashes and unidentified skulls of the victims to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa.

Some of the family members who had earlier rejected the suggestion of a mass burial later agreed when it was explained that the possibility of conducting a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test would take up to six months.

Mr. Ambrose Ayebakuro, the 33 years old son of the late former House of Assembly member, Ruby Benjamin, confirmed that the family had been contacted on the decision to hold a mass burial for the deceased.

Also speaking, Mr. Mathew Utolor, the Chief Accountant of Bayelsa Broadcasting Corporation and husband of one of the deceased, Mrs Ayakpo Utolor, said it was sad that the families could not identify the bodies of the victims.

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Kingsley Kuku, has described as tragic the accident that claimed the lives of 11 female politicians from Bayelsa State last Saturday.

Kuku, who is also chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, said in a statement signed by his Special Assistant and head of Media, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, that he received the news with shock and a deep feeling of loss.

Commiserating with the Bayelsa State Government, the people of the state and the families of the deceased, he said their demise was very painful and a huge loss to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) family in the state.

“This sad news came at a time everyone was working hard to ensure victory for the PDP in the general elections. The positive contribution of these women to the development of their state and the country will be sorely missed, ”he said.

Kuku prayed God to comfort their families and grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.

Wednesday 18 February 2015

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=105417

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10 killed in Vietnam road accident

A severe accident between two buses occurred on early Monday morning in a south central Vietnamese province, killing 10 passengers – including the drivers.

At 1:45 am today, February 9, a sleeper bus with number plate 51B-14122 crashed head-on into another, with number plate 86B-00284, that was traveling in the opposite lane on National Highway 1 in Ham Minh Commune, Ham Thuan Nam District in Binh Thuan Province.

The sleeper bus was traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to the central province of Nghe An, while the other was going from the south central city of Phan Thiet to the southern city, commune authorities said.

The impact threw bus 86B-00284 into a house on the roadside, collapsing a wall of the house, killing nine passengers on the spot. Nobody in the house was hurt.

Meanwhile, the driver of the sleeper bus was thrown from the vehicle and killed immediately.

The right front wheel of bus 51B-14122 exploded in the collision.



According to Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper, the driver of bus 51B-14122 had encroached on the lane of the other bus and crashed into it.

After receiving reports about the accidents, police and rescuers rushed to the scene to handle the accident.

Many ambulances were called to the scene to take the victims to Ham Thuan Nam District Hospital, while traffic police tried to remove the traffic jam caused by the crash.

The fronts of both buses were broken into pieces, exposing the interiors, while bloodstains covered parts of the vehicles and the ground. The passengers who survived the deadly accident were taken to the district police office to rest while waiting for other buses to continue their trips.

Chairman of the Binh Thuan People’s Committee Le Tien Phuong has called on the injured victims at the hospital.

The provincial authorities have given money as initial support to the families of both the dead and injured victims.

Police have examined the scene of the accident and are investigating the cause.

Monday 9 February 2015

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=295681

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Nine killed in road accident in central Uganda

At least nine people were killed on Sunday in a road accident in the central Ugandan district of Luwero.

Lameck Kigozi, the Savannah regional police spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone that the nine people were killed along Kampala- Gulu highway following a head-on collision between a Toyota land cruiser and a commuter minus bus.

"Nine people were killed on spot. The bodies have been taken to Kasana hospital in Luwero. We appeal to the relatives of the deceased to come and identify the bodies," said Kigozi, who attributed the accident to reckless driving and over speeding.

"We have launched investigations. We believe the accident was caused as a result of reckless driving and over speeding," said Kigozi.

Meanwhile, an unspecified number of people were on Saturday critically injured when a bus they were travelling in overturned in the western Ugandan district of Kasese.

The accident happened at Kandahi village near Hima town along the Fort Portal - Kasese Highway.Some 2,937 people were killed in Uganda's road accidents in 2013, according to Uganda Police Annual Road Safety Report.

Monday 26 January 2015

http://shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=265122

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Road accident in Arunachal Pradesh kills at least 11 labourers

At least eleven labourers were killed on Friday and several others got seriously injured, including three critically, when a vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge near Sessa along Bhalukpong-Tawang road of Arunachal Pradesh.

The incident occurred at 3.5 kms from Sessa when the driver of the vehicle failed to negotiate a sharp curve due to poor visibility and fell into the 150-feet-deep-gorge this afternoon, SP A Koan said.

While ten people died on the spot, one succumbed to his injuries at Bhalukpong while he was being taken to Tezpur in neighbouring Assam along with three others, he said.

The vehicle was on its way to Nafra in West Kameng district from Bhalukpong. While all the bodies have been retrieved, the vehicle could not be lifted, the SP said.

On 19 January last, 4 persons were killed near the same spot when their vehicle fell into a deep gorge.

Saturday 24 January 2015

http://www.firstpost.com/india/road-accident-arunachal-pradesh-kills-least-11-labourers-critically-injures-three-2061593.html

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Ten dead as Texas prison bus collides with train

At least 10 people have been killed after a bus carrying prisoners lost control on an icy motorway and collided with a train in Texas, officials say.

Ector County Sheriff Mark Donaldson said the bus careened off an Interstate 20 overpass and landed on train tracks west of Odessa. A freight train then struck the bus, he said.

The bus was traveling from the Middleton Unit in Abilene to the Sanchez Unit in El Paso when it was involved in the accident at about 7:30 a.m., state prison officials said.

Two correctional officers and eight inmates died in the crash, according to state officials, and one staff member and four other inmates were taken to the Medical Center in Odessa where a spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times that four were critical and one was in serious condition.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.

Images from the scene showed that the white prison bus, crumpled with heavy damage to its top and undercarriage, came to rest on its side.

“It's with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of those killed and injured this morning in a tragic accident,” said Brad Livingston, executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. “Their loved ones will be in our thoughts and prayers.”

The Union Pacific freight train was traveling from Los Angeles to Marion, Ark., with 58 cars and four locomotives, Mark Davis, a railroad spokesman told The Times.

Two employees on the freight train were uninjured, he said.

Carrying parcels and packages, the train remained at the accident site while the investigation was being carried out.

The railroad will be sending people to inspect the damage and the track, according to Davis.

Wednesday 14 January 2015

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-30821835

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National Highway mishap: DNA samples of 49 victims obtained

Samples of 49 people killed in a bus accident at Karachi National Highway have been obtained for the DNA test on Monday.

The samples of 49 corpses which were transferred to morgue have been sent for the verification test.

Three police officers including Sub-inspector Abdul Aziz, Shahadat Ali and Chand Muhammad will take a legal action after the identification of the dead bodies so that they can be handed over to the relatives.

Police officers have failed to capture the accused bus driver whereas Senior Superintendant of Police (SSP) Malir Rao Anwar stated that the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was also called on to check the bus.

Moreover, a case has been registered in Memon Goth Police Station against the owner and the driver of the tanker. Earlier, at least 62 people including women and children were killed when their bus crashed into an oil tanker, igniting a fierce blaze at Super Highway early Sunday, officials said.

Authorities fear the death toll could rise, with most of the bodies burnt beyond recognition. Initial reports said the oil tanker was travelling in the wrong direction along the dilapidated stretch of road, police said.

In an accident, right people from one family also lost their lives.

“We have received 62 dead bodies but the death toll may rise as most of them are completely burnt and stuck to each other,” Doctor Semi Jamali at Karachi s Jinnah hospital.

Jamali said the bodies of at least six children were stuck to women who may have been their mothers, adding it was impossible to separate the remains.

“They are beyond recognition, they can only be identified by DNA test,” she said.

The overloaded bus, carrying more than 60 passengers, was en route to the town of Shikarpur from the southern port city of Karachi when the collision occurred.

Television channels showed live footage from the fiery crash site where rescue workers were busily evacuating dead bodies and any injured. Earlier, senior police official Rao Muhammad Anwaar said the bus “hit the oil tanker, which according to initial reports was coming in the wrong direction” and caught fire.

Another senior police official, Aamir Shiekh said an investigation has been launched but it appeared the poor condition of the single track road also contributed to the cause of the accident.

“We are trying to ascertain if the driver of the oil tanker was solely at fault or whether the bus driver also showed negligence,” Anwaar said. A few passengers escaped unhurt after they jumped out of the bus windows, police official Muhammad Jan said. It was the second major fatal crash in Sindh province in less than three months.

Tuesday 13 January 2015

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/sindh/13-Jan-2015/national-highway-mishap-dna-samples-of-49-victims-obtained

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Microbus-truck collision kills 14 in Minya

A truck and a microbus collided on the Ring Road near Abo Shanaf Bridge in Minya, Saturday night, leaving 14 dead and 2 injured, state media reported.

All of the deceased were aboard the microbus, which turned over on the side of the road after the crash, according to state-owned Al-Ahram. The victims were residents of villages in Minya.

The ambulance and security forces arrived at the scene of the accident, and then the injured were transferred to the Minya University Hospital. As for the deceased, 11 bodies were transferred to the Minya General Hospital Morgue and the remaining 3 to the Fever Hospital Morgue.

Approximately 12,000 people die each year in Egypt as result of road accidents, according to a 2012 World Health Organization report.

A recent accident in Beheira that left 18 dead and 18 injured led the cabinet to implement amendments to the traffic law on 5 November.

The amendments, which came into effect on 24 November, include harsher penalties for wrong-way driving, driving under the influence or exceeding the speed limit.

Monday 1 December 2014

http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/30/microbus-truck-collision-kills-14-minya/

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57 die as bus collides with truck near Khairpur

Fifty-seven people, 17 women and 19 children among them, were killed when a Karachi-bound bus collided head-on with a coal-laden truck near the Therhi bypass on Gambhir Road a little before dawn on Tuesday.

Twenty-five people were injured, many of them seriously, in the crash. The bus driver was among the dead.

Residents of nearby villages and some of the injured told reporters and police that the speeding vehicles collided with a bang, which was heard miles away.

A large number of victims died on the spot and the screams of the injured attracted people to the accident site.

The villagers and some travellers took some of the injured to nearby health facilities.

The truck driver and some other seriously injured people were rushed to the Khairpur Civil Hospital. All 57 bodies were kept at the same hospital.

The bus was coming from Swat and most of the passengers reportedly hailed from Bahrain.

According to some injured people, the bus was overloaded and many passengers were travelling on the roof. They said the collision was so powerful that it blew away the roof of the bus.

Many of the victims were taken out from the wreckage by prising open the body of the bus with gas cutters.

An injured man told newsmen that he and six other members of his family were travelling in the bus and he was the lone survivor.

An official report released late in the evening said that the bus was carrying 77 passengers, a driver and a conductor. It said that 57 of them died and 22 were under treatment at the Khairpur Civil Hospital. The condition of 13 injured people was stated to be serious and two of them were referred to a Karachi hospital, it added.

Meanwhile, a C-130 plane sent to Sukkur in the afternoon transported 46 bodies to Risalpur.

According to an ISPR release, the bodies would be sent to the hometowns of victims by ambulances. Eleven bodies were dispatched to various destinations by Edhi air ambulances.

The casualties were driven to hospitals in Khairpur and Sukkur. Doctor Jaffer Soomro of the Khairpur Civil Hospital confirmed the death toll. “The accident was so severe that all of them died at the spot,” except for one child who died undergoing treatment in the hospital, Dr Soomro told AFP by phone. “I have never seen a road accident of such a horrible magnitude.” Police said there were 17 women and 18 children among the dead.

The bus was carrying families from Swat to Karachi, and medical staff were struggling to communicate with some of the injured, who spoke only Pashto. “We have called translators to communicate with the surviving people especially the children who are in very miserable condition,” Dr Soomro said.

A D Khawaja, the Motorway Police chief of Sindh, told AFP that the poor condition of the road may have been a factor, as well as bad driving. “There was a deep ditch on the road which we call ‘rutting’ some 30 to 40 yards before the place where the bus hit the truck,” he said. “We have learned that the bus went out of control after it hit the rutting and it landed on the opposite side of the road and then hit the truck which was coming from Karachi.”

Sukkur Commissioner Muhammad Abbas Baloch blamed reckless driving for the fatal accident. “Such accidents usually take place in the morning when after night-long drives it’s difficult for the fatigued drivers to keep their eyes on the road.”

However, he added that the poor condition of the road was also responsible for frequent accidents in the same area. “They should have made proper diversions while construction work on the highway is ongoing,” he told The Express Tribune.

The first to reach the crash site were Edhi ambulances, followed by the police and rangers. Mechanical cranes and cutters were called to cut through the body of the bus to get to the passengers trapped among the seats. Witnesses recounted harrowing scenes at the site before the arrival of the machinery, of trapped passengers crying for help while rescuers stood by helplessly.

“I’ve never seen such an accident in my life,” an elderly man, Shaban, told The Express Tribune. “The highway has been under construction for the past three-odd years and there is neither any proper diversion nor deployment of motorway police or traffic police to guide the heavy traffic,” he added.

After identification, 42 bodies were sent to Sukkur, from where they will be flown to Swat or Risalpur, while the remaining bodies were sent to Karachi by road for burial. Commissioner Baloch said they have announced monetary compensation of Rs30,000 for each of the injured, and recommended to the provincial chief minister compensation for the heirs of the deceased passengers.

Officials at the hospital said that some of the dead and the injured were yet to be identified.

Wednesday 12 November 2014

http://www.dawn.com/news/1143922/57-die-as-bus-collides-with-truck-near-khairpur

http://tribune.com.pk/story/789601/collision-in-khairpur-horror-on-the-highway/

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Truck crashes into shop in Cameroon killing 17

A truck crashed into a shop in Cameroon's capital Yaounde, killing 17 students, national radio reported on Friday.

The building in the neighbourhood of Monte des Soeurs was destroyed in the late Thursday accident, witness Aisha Mama told dpa.

The students were buying sweets at the shop. Several people were also seriously injured.

There was no immediate information on the reasons behind the crash.

Saturday 18 October 2014

http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Truck-crashes-into-shop-in-Cameroon-killing-17-20141018

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Thirty killed in truck crash in Central African Republic

At least 30 people were killed when an truck carrying oil and laden with passengers plunged into a ravine in Central African Republic, a local official said on Saturday.

The accident took place near the town of Boali, some 95 km (60 miles) northwest of the capital Bangui, on the main road to the Cameroonian border. The highway is used to transport food and supplies to the Central African capital.

"The vehicle was transporting cans of oil and there were a lot of people travelling on top," Mathurine Gbadin, deputy prefect of Boali, told. "It wanted to overtake another vehicle and plunged into a ravine."

Gbadin said at least 30 people were killed and dozens more injured had been transported to Bangui by African Union peacekeepers.

Saturday 13 September 2014

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/09/13/uk-centralafrica-crash-idUKKBN0H80FF20140913

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38 killed when van carrying flammable liquid hits bus in China

A van carrying flammable liquid rammed into a bus in China early Saturday, sparking a fiery explosion that left 38 people dead, state media reported.

Both drivers were among the fatalities in the accident in Hunan Province, according to Xinhua news agency.

Five people were injured, but the fate of the other passengers is unclear. The bus had the capacity to carry 53 people, Xinhua said.

The accident destroyed five cars.

Authorities extinguished the fire, but a rescue effort is under way.

Fatal road accidents are a serious problem in China. In June last year at least 38 people were killed when fire engulfed a bus during evening rush hour in the city of Xiamen, Fujian.

A 2011 study by a group of Chinese and US researchers concluded that the number of deadly accidents was two times higher than the police claimed.

Saturday 19 July 2014

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/19/world/asia/china-bus-explosion/

http://www.dw.de/deadly-bus-and-truck-collision-in-chinas-hunan-province/a-17795608

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Chaiyaphum crash victims pose ID challenge; Charred bodies prove beyond recognition

Forensic experts are stepping up efforts to identify the charred bodies of 12 Vietnamese nationals killed in Monday's road accident in Chaiyaphum province, after visual identification proved futile.

The bodies of the victims have been transferred from Kaeng Khro Hospital in Chaiyaphum to Khon Kaen University's Srinagarind Hospital for identification.

But forensic expert Viruj Khunkitti said all of the bodies had been burned beyond recognition, making it difficult for doctors to even identify their gender.

Identification documents such as passports and other necessary documents were all burned, meaning forensic evidence and accounts from relatives would have to be used to identify the dead, Dr Viruj said.

The 12 Vietnamese nationals and their Thai driver were killed and four others injured when the passenger van they were travelling in collided with an 18-wheel truck in Chaiyaphum on Monday morning.

Authorities have the names of all those on board, but have been unable to match them to the individual bodies.

The van veered into the wrong lane and smashed into the truck loaded with cassava. Both vehicles overturned and the van burst into flames. Thirteen people were trapped inside the burning vehicle.

The van had been hired to take a group of Vietnamese Catholics from Bangkok to Nong Bua Lam Phu province for a church activity. Police believe the van driver fell asleep at the wheel.

Dr Viruj said eight of the dead were believed to have died from injuries sustained in the crash, while at least two had died from smoke inhalation.

Relatives and friends of the victims arrived at the hospital yesterday to view the bodies, but were unable to identify them.

In one case, relatives told the hospital that a 25-year-old man who was among the passengers often wore a wristband. It was found that one of the bodies had a blue and yellow wristband which had survived the flames.

So far, only some of the relatives had given specific information about the victims, Dr Viruj said.

Forensic examinations would have to be conducted and there must be confirmation from police handling the case before the bodies of the victims are released to their families. DNA tests would be conducted if relatives were unable to identify their loved ones.

A source said relatives of van driver Veerachai Promsakul had gone to the hospital to pick up his body for funeral rites. They told the hospital that Veerachai, 35, a native of Phatthalung, often wore a silver ring studded with a yellow gem on his ring finger.

In Nong Bua Lam Phu, Thai and Vietnamese Catholics laid wreaths in front of Akkhara Thewada church in Muang district and performed prayers for the victims, who were on their way to the church when the crash occurred.

Church training coordinator Pornpan Inthisenpho said the church has so far managed to contact relatives of 10 of the victims.

A source said one of the surviving Vietnamese passengers being treated at Chaiyaphum Hospital could be discharged within five days after undergoing surgery.

Ngian Huming, 20, was admitted on Monday with two broken legs.

He was among three Vietnamese passengers who survived the road accident. The two others were being treated at Khon Kaen Hospital.

Trailer truck driver Prayuth Leesui sustained minor injuries.

Wednesday 04 June 2014

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/413457/crash-dead-pose-id-challenge

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At least 12 Vietnam students killed in Thai van crash

Twelve Vietnamese students and a Thai van driver died after their chartered vehicle collided head-on with an 18-wheel truck in Chaiyaphum's Kaeng Khro district yesterday morning. The van burst into flames after the smash.

Three other students travelling in the van were seriously injured while the truck driver, Prayuth Leesui, 35, was also injured. They were taken to Kaeng Khro Hospital.

The van was part of a five-vehicle caravan that departed Bangkok on Sunday night for a seminar and youth camp at a church in Nong Bua Lamphu's Muang district, Kaeng Khro Police chief Colonel Panas Boonyanyao said.

The four other vans had already past Chaiyaphum province when the last one, driven by Weerachai Phromsakul, 36, collided with the truck, he said.

Police suspect that Weerachai fell asleep at the wheel at about 7am on road number 201 (Kaeng Khro-Phu Khieo).

The charred bodies of the students are being kept at the Sawang Phutthatham Sathan Foundation in Kaeng Khro, pending identification so authorities can contact their families.

But the other Vietnamese students and their teachers contacted police and asked them to move the bodies to Khon Kaen's Srinakarin Hospital for DNA tests.

The Ban Kijjanukhroh Church's three-day youth camp is an annual event for 120 Thai and Vietnamese students from Bangkok, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Sakhon Nakhon. This year's event was cancelled following the tragedy.

In related news, a separate accident in Samut Prakan's Bang Bo district yesterday afternoon saw a pickup overturn at a curve in tambon Bang Na-Trat, killing two Myanmar workers and injuring 15 others. The truck driver fled the scene.

An initial probe by police found that the truck with 24 Myanmar workers on board was speeding and the driver lost control, slamming into an oncoming van.

Tuesday 03 June 2014

http://www.phuketgazette.net/thailand-news/At-least-12-Vietnam-students-killed-Thai/29658

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15 killed in road accident near Gulbarga

Fifteen persons including five women and three children were killed and 11 others injured in an accident involving a Mahindra Bolero Mini Truck and a NEKRTC bus on the Waghdhari-Ripponpalli inter state highway 6 km away from Aland town near Kodalhangarga village in Gulbarga district in the early hours of Monday.

All the victims hailed from Tadwal village, 25 km from Akkalkot, in Maharashtra and were travelling in the mini truck. The victims included the driver of the mini truck. While 13 persons were killed on the spot, one died on the way to the Government General Hospital in Gulbarga and another died in the government hospital.

The condition of one of the 11 injured was stated to be very serious. The injured included the driver and the conductor of the NEKRTC Bus.

Municipal Administration and Waqf Minister Qamar ul Islam who was in the town rushed to the spot and also visited the Government Hospital at Aland, where the bodies of the 13 of the victims were kept, and consoled the family members of the victims. Rs 1 lakh each to the family of the victims from the state was announced as compensation. Besides this the NEKRTC has released a sum of Rs 15,000 to family of each of the victims as funeral expenditure and another Rs 35,000 would also be paid to each of the victims family immediately by the NEKRTC.

Mr. Islam who spoke to the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the accident. The Chief Minister while expressing his grief over the accident announced the compensation from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The Minister said that he would also speak to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and the Minority Affairs Minister in Maharashtra and would appeal to them to announce adequate compensation to the family of the victims.

According to the relatives who were brought by the police from the Tadwal village to identify the victims, the victims numbering more than 26 were on their way to perform “Haqeeqa”(Tonsoring ceremony) of a child at the famous Khaja Banda Nawaz Darga in Gulbarga City on Monday. They had left the village at 1.30 am and the accident took place around 4.35 am.

Sunday 02 June 2014

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/15-killed-in-road-accident-near-gulbarga/article6074783.ece

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