16 killed, 24 injured in bus-truck collision in eastern India

NEW DELHI - At least 16 people were killed and 24 others injured on Wednesday after a bus collided with a truck laden with cooking gas cylinders in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, officials said.

The accident took place on Govindpur-Sahibganj highway in Paderkola village in Pakur district, about 351 km northeast of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand.

The injured were being treated in hospitals, said Pakur civil surgeon Ramdev Paswan.

Police said rescuers had to use gas cutters to bring out those trapped inside the mangled bus.

Preliminary investigations revealed that careless driving and poor visibility caused by the dense fog in the area might be the causes of the mishap.