11 killed in Rajasthan truck-car collision

Eleven people were killed and three seriously injured after a car they were travelling in collided with a truck near Sointra village on the Phalodi-balotra highway in Jodhpur district on Saturday, police said.

The occupants of the car were on their way to Ramdeora from Balotra city of Barmer to pay obeisance at the shrine of famous folk deity Baba Ramdeo, the

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police were quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The three injured are recuperating at a hospital in Jodhpur, they added.

“While negotiating a turn on the highway, the vehicle collided with the truck. Eleven people died on the spot and three were injured,” Superintendent of Police, Jodhpur (rural) Rahul Barhat told PTI.

Police and villagers rushed to the spot and initiated a rescue operation while a crane was used to separate the mangled vehicles and extract the bodies, they said.

The deceased have been identified as Jagdish, Kailash, Kishore, Priyanka, Pradeep, Vimla, Rashu, Seeta, Vikram and Dimple.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the incident.

“I express my condolences to the families of those who died in this accident and wish for the speedy recovery of those injured,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a tweet, quoting Modi.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot condoled the deaths. “Deeply saddened to learn about tragic accident on Balotra-phalodi Mega Highway in Shergarh area, Jodhpur in which 11 people have lost lives. My heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones, may God give them strength to bear this loss. I wish speedy recovery to injured,” Gehlot tweeted.