8 killed in bus-oil tanker collision

A collision between a passenger bus and a diesel oil tanker left eight people dead and 11 injured on a highway near Thane district border, early on Wednesday.

An officer from Manor, 90 km from Mumbai, said the passengers of the Pune-Ahmedabad luxury bus were in deep slumber when the accident occurred near Kude village dotting Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway. Preliminary information states that the driver of the Prasanna Purple Travels-owned luxury bus was trying to overtake the BPCL oil tanker when another vehicle came in between. The luxury bus driver swerved, colliding with the diesel tanker.

The friction between the two heavy vehicles led to an eruption of flames which soon enveloped the bus. The injured victims, two of whom are reported to be serious, have been rushed to Manor Civil Hospital, while one was shifted to Thane Hospital.

There were a total of 21 passengers on the bus, besides the driver and conductor. The deluxe sleeper bus, which left Pune for Ahmedabad around 6:30 in the evening, was gutted in the accident with the Hazira-bound BPCL diesel oil tanker, police said.