Tragic Pilgrimage: Seven Killed in Gujarat Truck Accident

Seven pilgrims and a dumper driver were killed after being hit by a speeding truck on the Lakhtar-Viramgam highway in Gujarat. The incident occurred during a temple pilgrimage. The truck driver fled but was later detained by the police. Four others sustained injuries.

A tragic accident unfolded in Gujarat's Surendranagar district on the Lakhtar-Viramgam highway, claiming the lives of seven individuals, including pilgrims and a driver, and injuring four others. A speeding truck, laden with cotton, struck a group of pilgrims walking as part of a temple procession.

The pilgrims, primarily from Rajkot, were en route to offer prayers at Bahucharaji temple when the truck hit them near Bhaskarpara village. The incident resulted in the immediate death of six individuals, while another succumbed to injuries later at a hospital. Four sustained minor injuries, with one referred to a hospital in Rajkot.

The truck driver, identified as Aditya Uganiya, fled the scene but was later apprehended by police. Authorities report that the pilgrims were attempting to cross a parked dumper truck when the speeding vehicle struck them. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

(With inputs from agencies.)