18 Kanwariyas Killed in Tragic Bus-Truck Collision in Jharkhand’s Deoghar

At least 18 Kanwariyas lost their lives and several others sustained injuries after a bus carrying devotees collided with a truck loaded with cooking gas cylinders in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district early Tuesday morning.

The fatal crash occurred around 4:30 am near the Jamuniya forest, under Mohanpur Police Station limits, according to officials.

“In my Lok Sabha constituency of Deoghar, 18 devotees lost their lives in a tragic accident involving a bus and a truck during the Kanwar Yatra in the holy month of Shravan,” Godda MP Nishikant Dubey wrote on X. “May Baba Baidyanath give strength to their families to bear this grief.”

Initially, Inspector General of Dumka Zone Shailendra Kumar Sinha confirmed five fatalities but warned that the death toll could rise given the serious condition of several of the injured. Later reports confirmed the toll had risen to 18.

The Kanwariyas, devotees of Lord Shiva, were reportedly en route to the Basukinath temple, a prominent pilgrimage site during the Shravan month.

Deoghar Sub-Divisional Officer Ravi Kumar confirmed the identities of the victims and said rescue operations were ongoing. Authorities are investigating the exact cause of the collision.