Eight killed as Bolero crashes into truck in Maharashtra's Bhandara

Eight people, including three children, were killed after a Bolero SUV collided with an Eicher truck in Maharashtra's Bhandara district early Friday, police said.

The accident occurred around 4 am between Manegaon and Pimpalgaon in Lakhni taluka, according to police.

The eight occupants of the Bolero, including five adults and three children, died in the accident, a police official at the spot said.

The victims were travelling to Nagpur from Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, via National Highway 53 when the accident took place.

The Chhattisgarh government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said in a post on X that instructions had been issued to provide the financial assistance to the next of kin of the Chhattisgarh residents killed in the accident.

He also said the injured would receive Rs 50,000 each.

A Chhattisgarh government team has reached Bhandara and is coordinating with the Maharashtra government and the local administration to facilitate medical treatment for the injured and assist the affected families, Sai said.

He said arrangements were also being made in Nagpur to provide the best possible medical care to those who were critically injured.

"The Chhattisgarh government stands with the affected families with the utmost sensitivity, and every possible assistance will be provided to them," Sai said.  (with inputs from PTI)