JOIN USFive Gangasagar pilgrims were killed and ten seriously injured when their bus collided with a truck on National Highway 2 near Sankradihi in Jharkhand on Monday.
The devotees were returning to Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh after taking a holy dip at Gangasagar in West Bengal on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on Sunday.
While three persons died on the spot, two succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. The injured were admitted to the Sadar hospital.
Meanwhile, according to reports from West Bengal, in seperate accidents, 28 people were injured in their return journey from the yatra.
Altogether 22 people from Bihar were injured on their return journey from the yatra when their vehicle overturned at Bamankhali, police said. All the injured were taken to hospital.
Six more devotees from Haryana were injured when the bus in which they were returning from the pilgrimage turned turtle at Diamond Harbour. They two were hospitalised, police said.
Several pilgrims from all over the country came here from January 9 to 16, DM N S Nigam, West Midnapore said, adding many foreigners also visited the place.