One dead, five injured as bus runs over devotees in Bhojpur

Ara: A ‘mundan’ ceremony turned tragic in Bhojpur district on Tuesday when a woman was killed and five others were injured after a passenger bus ran over six people near Kudariya-Mahuli Ghat under Sinha police station area.According to police, the accident occurred when the bus driver allegedly reversed the vehicle abruptly, hitting a group of five women and a 14-year-old boy who were on their way to the Mahuli Ganga ghat to attend the ceremony.The deceased has been identified as 55-year-old Gita Devi, wife of Sanjay Kumar Singh, a resident of Khanet village under Pawana police station area in Bhojpur.The injured include Sunita Devi (50), Kanti Devi (45), Shivam Kumar (14), and two other women from the same village. While Kanti Devi and Shivam Kumar were referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), their families admitted them to a private hospital in Ara. The remaining three injured are undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital, Ara.“The bus involved in the accident has been seized. The driver fled the spot, and efforts are on to identify and arrest him,” said Sinha police station SHO Sumit Kumar.Following the accident, angry locals pelted stones at the bus. Police intervened, brought the situation under control, and sent the body to Sadar Hospital, Ara, for the postmortem.