Raipur, Oct 26 — Three passengers were killed, and more than 10 others were injured when a speeding bus rammed into a stationary truck on the Raipur-Bilaspur National Highway no NH-130 near Darchura early on Monday morning, officials said.
The accident occurred around 5.30 a.m. near the Simga police station.
According to police officials, the bus, en route from Raipur to Ambikapur with about 22 passengers on board, collided with the rear of a broken-down truck parked on the main highway near a petrol pump just before Darchura village.
The impact was so severe that the front portion of the bus was completely mangled, police officials said.
Most passengers were asleep at the time of the crash and had little opportunity to react.
The mangled structure of the bus left several people trapped inside, prompting an intense rescue operation. Local residents gathered at the site after hearing cries for help.
Police and emergency response teams reached the spot and began relief work. Rescue workers used gas cutters to cut open the metal body of the bus and extricate the injured passengers.
The victims were then rushed to the government hospital in Simga for treatment. Police are in the process of identifying the deceased and the injured.
Officials said the number of casualties and those injured may rise depending on the condition of the critically hurt passengers.
Belongings of passengers were found scattered across the accident site. Preliminary accounts suggest the bus was rashly driven at high speed when it hit the stationary truck.
Road accidents continue to remain a serious concern in Chhattisgarh, with the Raipur-Bilaspur stretch witnessing repeated incidents.
Authorities have launched a detailed probe into the cause of the latest accident while focusing on providing medical care to the injured.