Thirteen persons, including four women and a child, were killed and 10 others injured when the minibus in which they were travelling lost balance and hit a tree in an attempt to save a stray bull on the road near Kuchaman in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district early on Saturday. The victims were residents of Maharashtra.
The accident occurred at about 3.30 a.m. on the Kishangarh-Hanumangarh mega highway passing through Kuchaman town.
Police said the victims were travelling from Maharashtra’s Latur district to Hisar in Haryana.
Four of the injured persons were rushed in a critical condition to Sawai Man Singh Government Hospitals in Jaipur, while others were being treated at a hospital in Kuchaman.
The bull, which also died in the mishap, came in the middle of the highway, forcing the minibus driver to apply brakes suddenly. As the driver veered off and lost control of the vehicle, it collided with a tree.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed his grief over the accident and offered condolences to the family members of the deceased. In a tweet, he wished an early recovery to those injured.
