Eight people died, with at least another seven injured as a bus collided with a truck in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur on Saturday, news agency ANI reported. 

The incident took place early on Saturday as the bus was transporting labourers from Ganjam in Odisha to Gujarat’s Surat Senior Superintendent of Police, Raipur, Ajay Yadav told ANI.  

Odisha Chief
Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the
seven deceased, who are residents of Ganjam.

Patnaik directed Rural Development and Labour Minister Susanta
Singh to rush to Raipur and provide all possible assistance to the victims of the accident, a statement from the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office said, reported PTI.

The statement said that besides the ex-gratia, Patnaik has also announced free medical treatment to the injured.

The chief minister also directed Odisha’s Director General of Police to remain in touch with his Chhattisgarh counterpart for co-ordination, it added. 

“The mishap occurred when the bus carrying 59 workers was heading to Gujarat from neighbouring Odisha,” Station House Officer (SHO) Telibandha police station Ramakant Sahu told PTI.