Sleeper bus rams truck near Ratlam, five injured

Indore: A private sleeper bus rammed into a truck on Ratlam–Indore four-lane near Rattagiri Phanta around 7 am on Wednesday, leaving five passengers from Barmer in Rajasthan injured.The bus, operated by Gajraj Travels, was on its way from Jodhpur to Indore when the collision took place about 27 km from Ratlam.Ratlam SP Amit Kumar said that the truck driver applied sudden brakes after the vehicle reportedly developed a steering failure. The bus driver, unable to control the speeding vehicle, crashed into the truck from behind. At the time of the accident, it was drizzling and most passengers were asleep. The front portion of the bus was badly damaged and windowpanes were shattered.The injured included Sheru, Ambaram, Raju, Vishal and Krishna, all residents of Barmer district in Rajasthan. Police personnel from Satrunda check post reached the spot and shifted the injured to Ratlam medical college with the help of an ambulance. A crane was later used to remove the damaged bus from the road to restore traffic movement.Preliminary inputs also point to road conditions contributing to the accident. Locals said the stretch had been recently repaired and fine gravel spread over a freshly laid asphalt surface has been causing vehicles to skid frequently.