Ara: A minor boy and three women were killed when a speeding truck rammed into their parked autorickshaw on the Ara-Buxar national highway near Shahpur in Bhojpur district on Thursday morning. At least 12 others were injured as the autorickshaw was flung into a roadside ditch following the collision. According to police, the truck driver fled after the accident and a manhunt was launched to track down the unidentified suspect. The victims were identified as Ajit Kumar (10), Suhago Devi (50) from Vaishali district and Subhagya Devi (65) and Siratiya Devi (65), both from Patna district. The incident occurred when approximately 16 to 17 people were returning from a ‘mundan’ (tonsure) ceremony in Rohtas, SHO of Shahpur police station, Kumar Rajnikant, said. “The auto driver had gone to fetch petrol from a nearby fuel station after parking the auto on the roadside when a truck rammed into it from behind,” he said. “Four people died on the spot while the injured are undergoing treatment at Ara Sadar Hospital. Four critically injured people were referred to Patna Medical College Hospital,” the SHO said. Meanwhile, one of the injured passengers, Pinki Devi, told reporters that around 16 to 17 people had travelled to the well-known pilgrimage site of Gupta Dham in Rohtas district to attend the ‘mundan’ ceremony of a six-year-old boy. “On our return journey, we wanted to perform puja at a temple in Bhojpur. However, the auto’s fuel ran out. The driver parked the auto on the roadside and went to fetch petrol from a nearby fuel station. Suddenly, a 10-wheeled speeding truck came from behind and rammed into the auto,” she added. Ara: A minor boy and three women were killed after a speeding truck rammed into their parked auto-rickshaw on the Ara-Buxar national highway near Shahpur, Bhojpur district, Thursday morning. At least 12 persons were also injured as the auto tumbled into a roadside ditch after the accident. According to the police, the truck driver fled after the mishap, and a manhunt has been launched to zero in on the unidentified accused. The victims have been identified as Ajit Kumar (10), Suhago Devi (50), from Vaishali district, and Subhagya Devi (65), Siratiya Devi (65) from Patna district. The incident occurred when around 16 to 17 persons were on their way back after attending a ‘Mundan’ (tonsure) ceremony in Rohtas, Shahpur police station house officer (SHO) Kumar Rajnikant told TOI. “The auto driver had gone to fetch petrol from a nearby fuel station after parking the auto on the roadside when a truck rammed into it from behind,” he said. “Four persons died on the spot while the injured are undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital Ara. Four grievously wounded persons have been referred to the PMCH. The SHO added that further investigations are on to arrest the truck driver. Meanwhile, one of the injured passengers, Pinki Devi, told media persons that around 16 to 17 persons had gone to the famous pilgrimage site of Gupta Dham in Rohtas district to attend the ‘Mundan’ ceremony of a six-year-old boy. “On our return journey, we wanted to perform puja at a temple in Bhojpur. However, the auto’s fuel ran out. The driver parked the auto on the roadside and went to fetch petrol from a nearby fuel station. Suddenly, a 10-wheeled speeding truck came from behind and rammed into the auto,” she added.
