As many as five persons died while 32 others were injured when a bus carrying people returning from JMM’s foundation day rally dashed against a tree in the Bodhra forest on the Sarath-Palajori road in Deoghar district at around 4 AM on Sunday.
The deceased include three women and a child namely Pawanpati Besra (38), Surajmani Soren (50), Gulabi Murmu (26), Sunil Marandi (8) and Badan Hansda (60). The deceased persons belonged to Baghmara village in Deoghar district.
Police said altogether 65 persons were returning in the bus after attending the JMM meet at Dumka. Officials informed that the bus was travelling at a high speed when the driver lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a turn.
"After receiving information regarding the accident at around 4: 40 AM, the entire police team at Sarath police station rushed to the spot and started rescue and relief operation. They took the injured persons to the community health centre located five kilometers away in Sarath. The grievously injured persons were later taken to higher medical centers," said the officer-in-charge of the Sarath police station.
With the deceased and the injured persons belonging to Madhupur assembly seat, the local MLA and minister for labour and employment Raj Paliwal announced financial aid of Rs 50,000 to the dependent of each deceased persons. He also visited the victim’s village with officials and discussed ways to provide maximum benefits of government welfare schemes to the affected families.
The JMM leader Hemant Soren and MLA Badal Patralekh also reached the village later in the day to console the family of deceased persons.
Chairperson of Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee, Ajoy Kumar also gave his condolences to the families of the deceased.
It may be stated here that JMM had on Saturday held a massive rally in Dumka to mark its 40th foundation day.