New Delhi, Sep 11 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed sadness over the loss of lives in a road accident in Maharashtra's Nanded and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased.
PMO India took to social media 'X' and said, "Saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Nanded, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM Narendra Modi."
Earlier, at least six people were killed and eight others critically injured after a passenger van collided head-on with a truck on the Nanded-Bhokar road in Maharashtra’s Nanded district on Thursday evening, police said.
The accident took place at around 7 p.m. near Sitakhandi Ghat, an official said.
The van was travelling from Nanded towards Bhokar when it collided with the truck. The impact left the van mangled, the police official said.
Local residents rushed to the spot following the accident and helped pull the injured out of the wreckage. The injured were subsequently shifted to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment.
Among those killed were Syed Almas of Bilal Nagar in Bhokar, Sheikh Firoz of Bhokar, Pandurang Laxman Waghmare and his wife, Laxmibai Pandurang Waghmare, of Syed Nagar, and Balwan Pawar of Potatanda village in Taluka Hadgaon. Police have not yet identified one of the deceased.
Some of the injured were stated to be in critical condition, the official said.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision, including how the van and truck came into contact on the road. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.
Officials have not yet provided information on whether factors such as road conditions, visibility, vehicle speed or mechanical failure contributed to the accident.
The accident occurred on the day of the Pola festival, triggering panic in the area. Local residents and rescue teams rushed to the spot after the crash, while police arrived and began managing traffic and rescue operations.